Winter's End
by JazzyJane
Summary: When the dead begin to walk, Stella and her husband flee Boston for Maine. But New England Winters are hard, so they head south. Soon Stella is alone, and in trouble. But help comes in the form of Daryl Dixon. How will the group react to Stella? How will she react to the group? Warning- there will be violence, gore, language and smut. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

**Since the story is finished, I figured I'd put this in the beginning. This story is now in another community. The Best of the best Daryl/OC by alicemeetwonderland. So thank you! It's exciting to know that others appreciate all the hard work I put into this story. **

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Working at a hospital you see all sorts of crazy things. But this, this was different. When the first patient was brought in, I had to ask the cop to tell me again, because what he said was so crazy.

"This guy was trying to eat him. We had to shoot the nut job about 20 times to bring him down. Must have been on some serious shit." The cop shook his head and leaned against the wall.

I knew that cop, his name was Jerry. He had been on the force for about eight years. I have a natural dislike for cops, but Jerry was different. He wasn't on some power trip, or enjoyed making life difficult for people. He really wanted to help. If it was someone else I would have thought that he was exaggerating, but not Jerry.

"Well I have to say this is my first attempted cannibalism." I joked, trying to ease the feeling of dread that had seeped into the ER from the outside world. To make it in the ER you either had to find ways to laugh, or the horror of human cruelty would burn you out so fast. "Anyways, I called Dr. Marsh down once I took a look at him. He's taking him up to surgery now. The surgery is gonna take hours and I doubt he'll wake up before tomorrow. Why don't you have someone come back then."

"Yeah, I guess" Jerry sighed, scratching his head. "Might as well cut out, my shift ended about an hour ago. What time you outta here?"

"My shift ended about an hour ago too, but they're short a doc tonight so Jim asked me if I could stay till the evening rush dies down. Its starting to thin out so I'm hoping maybe about another hour or two. The good thing about being an NP is that I'm still hourly. Means overtime, lots and lots of overtime. Its good though, Jack's birthday is coming up and I want to surprise him with a trip to Brazil for Carnival next year. He's always wanted to go. " Smiling, as I thought of my handsome husband, I finished my notes and placed the chart back in the rack.

"Stella, that is one hell of a gift. I hope Jack knows how lucky he is."

I laughed, "Of course he does. I remind him every day!" Just then a nurse came up and gave me another chart. "Looks like duty calls. I'll see you around Jerry." As I turned away I flipped to the complaint page. Quickly I turned back around "Jerry wait!" I called rushing up to him. "You won't believe it but I got another biting. What are the odds? Says here that a guy has multiple bite wounds from an intruder. Look, I got to go take a look at him, but let me know if you hear of anything else like this, would you?"

"You bet. Why? What are you thinking?" Jerry replied, his voice laced with concern.

"I don't know, but one biting is strange, two in a night is something...something else."

And that's how it started for me. That's the moment that I knew somewhere in my bones that life was going to change.

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**I know this is short, but I wanted to introduce my OC in her own way. Next chapter Daryl Dixon! Stay tuned.**


	2. Chapter 2

**This chapter is a little hard to read. Believe me it was a little hard to write. Please stay with it though, it was necessary to set up what was to come later. **

One year later...

"Shit! Shit, shit, shit!" I cursed quietly, but vehemently. The tire was flat, and the back of the SUV was packed with supplies. To get to the spare I had to unload back of the SUV. It was going to take time to get the tire out, time to change it, and time to load everything back in. Time was not my friend, not here. It was too open, too many houses on the road. If they came, I'd be trapped. Not good. "Figures the year I buy this thing Land Rover moves the spare inside." I muttered to myself. I looked around. The forest thickened not far up the road. I broke out the map. With any luck there would be a service road not far. A nice quiet road with lots of trees. Places to run and hide. Of course I would risk bending the rim, but since I didn't know how to put a new tire on it anyway... There, maybe a mile or two up the road a long winding road with only a few turn offs. It looked perfect.

I folded up the map and got back into the car. I was greeted enthusiastically by Gertie. Her tail beat a rhythm against the passenger seat. "I know, I know. When we stop next I'll let you out for a bit." I winced as the sound of the tire going thump thump thump permeated the cabin. It was hard to go so slow, but I didn't want to damage the car. I couldn't risk breaking something. I had missed the class in high school where they taught you how to hot wire a car.

When the turnoff appeared I let out a sigh of relief. I didn't like being so exposed on the main roads. The dead were everywhere. The more populated an area, the greater the likelihood a swarm would come through. Even though the dirt road I was on was just a hop skip and a jump away from the suburban neighborhood, the trees gave me an advantage. They let me hide. The dead weren't the most observant of creatures.

After rounding a curve I stopped the car. "Come on Gert, come stretch your legs for a bit." I laughed as she bounded out of the truck, her compact body making figure eights in the road. Sighing I turned to the task at hand. Maybe it would be good to see what I could get rid off. The SUV wasn't exactly eco friendly and the extra weight of the supplies just made it worse. I started unloading, looking at each box as I removed it. The food, gas and medical supplies were definite keeps, it was the personal stuff that I could get rid off, but what good would that do? If the point was to lessen the weight and the only stuff that I could really get rid of was some clothes, and they didn't weight that much. Anything else I got rid off, I would just have to replace.

I hauled the spare tire out of the wheel well and brought it around to the flat. I smiled as I saw Gertie bound off into the woods, in pursuit of some sort of critter no doubt. It would be good if she caught something. It would mean I wouldn't have to hunt later. I could spend the rest of the day looking for a safe place to hold up for a few days, and I could make do with what I had.

As I knelt down to position the jack under the car, I froze. The sound of a car coming up the dirt path caused a tightening in my stomach. If I hid, the supplies that were lined up on the side of the road would be carted off. I couldn't afford to lose the supplies. I was going to have to stay and stand my ground.

I stood, brushing the dirt from my knees, and opened up the driver's side door. I tucked the 9mm in the back of my pant waist and grabbed the shotgun. As I shut the door the car made its way around the curve in the road, and screeched to a halt. I held the shotgun loosely at my side. No reason to be too aggressive. Might as well keep things as friendly as possible.

The driver's side door opened and a man stepped out. Quickly I sized him up. Handsome, mid thirties, dark curly hair, and a smile that was just a little too friendly. My heart picked up its pace. Although Gertie's presence would have calmed me, I was glad she was off hunting. If this went wrong, she'd be the first target. No one likes to mess with a pit bull.

"Looks like you could use a hand there," the stranger said as he shut the car door.

I could see at least one more person in the car, but the sun was reflecting off the windshield making it difficult to see. I couldn't even tell if the other person was a man or woman. My gut said it was not a woman.

"It's alright, I can handle this. Nothing but a flat and it's not the first time I've had to change one of those. Appreciate you stopping, but I'm good." I called back. My heart picked up its already accelerated pace as the passenger door opened and two more men stepped out. One man was easily six five and must have weighed 250. He was built like a linebacker.

"Well, my mama would never forgive me if she knew I just left you here with all those biters around. Would she Clive?" The driver glanced over at one of the passengers.

One of the passengers, the giant, shook his head slowly. With a thick southern drawl he slowly said, "Nope, don't re'con she would." All three of the men slowly continued to advance, spreading out as they did.

My heart beat frantically. I had run into these types of men before. But then I had been with the others, there had been strength in numbers. Now I was all alone. "Really, I called out, I'm good. My husband and the others are just off hunting, they'll be back soon. So I'm not really alone. " I lied. I was a terrible liar, always had been. I didn't fool the men for a minute.

Clive smiled, showing off a surprisingly white smile. "Well, like Luke said. Can't just leave you here like this. We'll just give you a hand with that." His drawl made the words sound like honey. They chilled me to the bone.

"Please" I pleaded, "please just go." The three men continued to advance. They were no more than ten feet away. Looking back on it now, I think the reason I let them get so close was because they had been moving so slow. I started to raise the shotgun, and that's when it happened.

They were fast, really fast. Before I could get the gun up, they were on me. The shotgun was ripped from my grasp and the air exploded out of my lungs as Clive's huge bulk slammed into me. I felt my legs fly out from under me and as I landed with Clive's body on top of mine, I felt my ribs break. I would have screamed if there had been any breath left in me. Tears welled in my eyes and a strangled sound escaped from between my lips.

"Get off of her you oaf!" I heard someone shout. As relief began to fill me, that there was someone there that would help, the voice continued. "You'll kill her and while that may do it for you, I like my women living."

As the joy drained back out of me I felt Clive's weight roll off me. Air rushed back into my lungs, sending pain through my chest as my broken ribs expanded. I gasped at the pain, I knew from theory how painful broken ribs were, but I hadn't expected anything like this. It was hard to concentrate through the pain. I rolled to my side trying to get my feet under me, but hands grabbed my wrists, yanking my arms above my head, twisting me sharply onto my back. I looked up into the face of the driver, the one Clive had called Luke.

Shifting my gaze to the man at my feet, I felt surprise. It was the third man from the car standing there. I hadn't given him much notice before. He hadn't said anything and next to Clive he looked so insignificant. As he removed his shirt I could see that while he was slender, he was wiry. There wasn't an ounce of extra fat on him and his muscles rippled with every move.

"Well, you certainly weren't what we were looking for when we headed out today, but can't say I'm disappointed." He all but crooned to me. His words sent fury through me, and I knew that while I would most likely lose, I wasn't going to give up without a fight.

As he stepped closer I took a swipe at him with my leg. I missed but I sent him jumping back. The movement sent pain shooting through my ribs but I pushed it down, knowing I couldn't give in to it. If I gave into the pain, I'd give into the fear, and I'd give up. That was NOT going to happen.

"Still got some fight left in you, huh bitch? Go ahead and fight. I like that." He leered down at me. As I kicked at him again he caught my ankle and before I knew it his weight was on me. The increase in weight made me aware of a pressure in my lower back. It was something... something important. The gun! I had tucked it into my pants, it must have miraculously stayed put during the blitz attack. I had to find a way to get my hands free, a way to get to it. Until then, I had to keep it under me, keep it hidden.

The attacker knelt between my legs and then reached down and ripped my shirt open, buttons flying everywhere. "Fuck you!" I spat the words at him. "Fucking asshole! I'm gonna kill you!"

As he smiled back at me I tried to loop my legs around his chest to push him back. If only I could use the momentum to twist one of my arms free, I could get the gun. It didn't happen like that of course. He was stronger than I ever thought. He rocked back a little when one of my feet made contact with his jaw, but then grabbed my legs and painfully twisted them off of him. He glared down at me and I felt my blood run cold.

His fist slammed into the side of my face, more than once but I couldn't say how many times. I felt blood spurt from my nose, I was choking on it.

"Ah come on Seth, don't mess her up too much. I like 'em pretty" I heard Luke say. His voice sounded like it was coming from far away.

"Just needed to show her who's boss that's all. Right sweetheart? You know now who's in charge?" Seth chortled. I could feel his breath on my face.

I heard him draw a knife, and felt the cold blade on the bare skin of my torso. I couldn't even focus on it, the world was spinning as if I'd had too many martinis. I felt the tip of the blade between my breasts and then heard the snap as it cut through my bra. I turned my head to the side, to try to regain my bearings as well as to let the blood drain from my nose and mouth. As I opened my eyes I saw a blur of white.

"No!" the thought screamed in my head. She'll be killed trying to save me. She was the last thing I had on this planet that I loved.

As I turned my head back, I saw her compact body slam into the man on top of me.

"Jesus Christ!" "Shit!" yelled the other two men. Screams were coming from Seth as Gertie bit him over and over, looking for a way to get to his throat. "Shoot it! Shoot it!" he yelled.

I had to get to the gun, it was the only way to save us both now. As I struggled to get my hands free, there were explosions of pain from all over my body. I kept waiting to hear the sound of gunfire, but no sound came.

"Clive! Clive! Where are you?" Luke yelled out. But there was no answer. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a man barreling towards us. He held a crossbow in one hand and a knife in the other. As the impact of the swinging crossbow hit Luke in the face I yanked my hands free. I reached behind me and pulled out the 9mm, swinging around to aim at my would be rapist.

There were sounds coming from him, sounds eerily similar to what I had made after Clyde had first knocked me off my feet. Gertie had him by the throat and was holding on tight. His fists beat against her body. If it hurt, she didn't show it.

I walked over, leaned over him, put the gun to his head and I pulled the trigger.

"Come on Gertie, let him go. It's all done" I choked out. Running my hand over her I turned to look at the man who had helped me.

He was kneeling over Clive's body, pulling an arrow out of his eye socket. At least that explained why Clive didn't shoot. As he stood, he turned his head towards me. I had just enough time to notice his blue eyes before the ground rushed up to meet me and the world turned black.


	3. Chapter 3

Daryl's POV

The rabbit darted directly across his path. With lightening reflexes he pulled the trigger on his crossbow. The bolt sent the rabbit tumbling. Before he could take a step to retrieve his kill, a white pit bull came charging out of the woods and jumped on the dead rabbit.

"Hey! Hey! Get away from that!" He took a step towards the dog, but paused when the dog looked up at him warily. Wouldn't do to get attacked by a stray dog. Slowly he started to pull his hunting knife from the scabbard but stopped when the dog began wagging it's tail. Slowly, with it's head lowered, it approached Daryl.

As he reloaded his crossbow he sighed. "Oh hell, go ahead and have it. Supposed you saw it first." Daryl had a real soft spot for dogs. He had owned a coonhound once. Saved money for a year to buy that thing, named it Ben. He had had it for about six months when his father shot it one night because the dog started baying at an animal in the woods. He never got another dog.

The dog reached Daryl and looked up. Without hesitation Daryl reached down and scratched the dog between the ears. Looking at his dirty hand on the pristine white fur, Daryl paused. "Hey girl, you're awfully clean for a stray. You got someone around here?" Just then a scream rang out through the woods. The scream was short and ended abruptly. It was definitely a woman. The dog tensed instantly under his hand and after a second's pause turned around and ran back towards the way it came.

Daryl felt conflicted over what to do. On one hand whoever screamed wasn't one of his. She wasn't his problem. On the other hand, anyone who managed to keep a dog with them all this time, and in such good condition, was most likely good people. After a moment's indecision, he swore and headed after the dog.

As he reached to road he was astounded at the sight before him. He had expected to see walkers. What he saw was worse. The dog was launching herself at a man that was laying over a woman. The woman's clothes were torn and her face was bruised and bloody. Her hands were being held above her by a second man. Yet a third man, a giant of a man, was looking on, with his back turned slightly towards Daryl.

As the dog made contact with the man laying on top of the woman, shouts of disbelief and fear rang out. "Shoot it! Shoot it!" The man being bit called out. The woman started to struggle, trying with all her might to get her hands free. The large man pulled out a gun. As he moved to take aim at the dog, Daryl walked out of the woods. The giant must have sensed the movement behind him. As he turned his head Daryl pulled the trigger. At only fifteen feet away he couldn't miss. The arrow went into his right eye. He fell to the ground, dead.

The second guy looked over and saw Daryl striding towards him. He hesitated for a moment and that was all Daryl needed. He swung the crossbow, catching the attacker across the face. The woman jumped up, pulling a gun out from behind her. He couldn't worry about her right now. The asshole in front of him was trying to get to the gun the other guy had dropped. He reached the gun at the same time Daryl reached him. As the man on the ground wrapped his hand around the grip of the gun, a knife entered his heart. Daryl turned the man over and made sure he wouldn't rise again.

Just then a shot rang out, startling him. Glancing over he saw that the woman was bent over the man, the dog still at his throat. Quickly he moved to the giant and yanked the bolt from his head. He turned towards the woman. As he straightened himself up he saw her sway on her feet. Daryl rushed over to her and caught her just before she hit the ground.

"Shit," he thought to himself. "Now what do I do with her." He couldn't just leave her. Looking around he saw the tire propped up against the side of the car and was able to guess pretty quickly what happened. Laying her gently on the ground he pulled the two sides of her shirt together. The white dog came over and pushed herself between them. After sniffing at her owner, she bestowed her best kiss on Daryl. With that she curled up next to her owner, head on her thigh.

Daryl smiled, "Guess I've been dismissed." With that he turned his attention to the task at hand. Moving to the back of the SUV to get the rest of the tools out of the car, he was surprised at the amount of things piled on the side of car. Peaking in one of the boxes he was amazed to see small boxes filled with vials of medication. No wonder why she tried to stand her ground. Medication was like gold now. It was the most desired item for trade and the thing hardest to get.

Remembering the gunshot Daryl got to work. Walkers could be on coming this way right now. Quickly he changed the tire. After lowering the car and removing the jack, he tossed the tools in the wheel well and walked over to where the woman was laying. She was so still Daryl started to worry that maybe she was seriously hurt. She had obviously taken quite a beating. Her face was starting to swell rapidly. Only the rise and fall of her chest reassured him. Trying to be as gentle as possible he lifted her into his arms and walked over to the passenger side of the Range Rover. He placed her into the seat and laid it back as far as it would go. As he adjusted her in the seat, he was startled by the dog leaping over the back seat. Apparently she wanted to make sure she wasnt' left behind. Moving to the rear of the SUV he started loading the boxes and bags as quickly as he could. He was worried. He had to get her to Hershel.

Daryl drove as quickly as he could back to the prison. When he got close he realized he had a problem. The others weren't going to recognize the car and therefore wouldn't open up the gate for him. There was only one solution. he'd have to park the car down the road and cut through the woods to get to the clearing surrounding the gate. Once they saw him, they'd open the gate for him when he drove up.

He hated leaving her there though. He doubted that anyone living would happen across her, the odds of seeing two sets of living people in a day were slim. Walkers could come upon the car though, and if the dog made any noise they could bust through the windows. Problem was, he didn't see any other solution.

Luck was with him today though. As soon as he stepped foot into the clearing he saw Glenn up in the tower. Glenn noticed him right away. He signaled to Glenn that he'd be back in a minute and ran back to the car.

When he got back into the car he said to the unconscious figure beside him, "Hold on woman. This is gonna get a little bumpy." In order to get through the prison gates without letting a bunch of walkers in, he'd have to head over the dirt road at a pretty good clip. Although she moaned a couple of times, for the most part she remained blessedly unconscious.

When he got close to the prison he rolled down the window and held the crossbow out just to reassure everyone that it really was him. Sure enough, as soon as Glenn saw that, he yanked the gate open. The Range Rover sailed through the gate. Instead of stopping just inside, where the rest of the cars were, Daryl drove right up to the entrance to Cell Block C. Throwing the car into park he bolted out of the driver side. "Someone tell Hershel I'm bringing someone in!" he yelled.

Carol came rushing over, her hands still full of wet laundry. "What on earth are you doing Daryl Dixon? Where did you get this car?" Her voice abruptly died as she saw the woman Daryl was lifting from the passenger seat.

"Carol, didn't I tell you to go get Hershel?" Daryl snapped. He was really worried now. The color had drained out of her face. Well, the half of the face that still looked relatively normal. Rushing into the prison Daryl didn't wait for anyone. "Hershel! Hershel! Come on, she needs your help!"

Hershel emerged from the cell he had been using. Daryl didn't like getting the old man out of bed so soon. The day after they had arrived at the prison, Rick chopped off the old man's leg with a hatchet after he was bitten by a walker. There was nothing for it now though, had to be done. The woman needed help.

Hershel didn't wait till Daryl was closer before he started issuing orders. "Put her in the empty cell there. Carol grab my bag. Beth gather as many bandages as you can."

Daryl stopped listening as soon as he had his task. Rushing into the open cell he laid her gently on the bed. Shocked, he staggered back as the dog jumped up immediately. He had been so focused on the woman, he had forgotten about the dog. He watched as the dog seemed to take inventory of the unconscious woman.

Just then Carol came rushing into the cell. Two things happened simultaneously. Carol saw the dog and let out a screech, and the dog began barking and growling in Carol's direction. Carol quickly dropped Hershel's bag and backed out of the cell. The dog hopped down off the bed and ran growling towards the door. She stopped at the doorway though, and walked back to nudge Daryl's hand and whine up at him.

Unfortunately it wasn't just Carol's startled yelp that the dog didn't like. When Hershel and Beth arrived in the doorway the scene was repeated again. Except this time, the dog didn't move from the doorway. She barked ferociously at anyone that even looked like they were gonna take a step inside that cell.

"Stand back Daryl. I'm gonna shoot it." Rick yelled above the noise. As he drew his gun Daryl yelled back.

"Don't! Open the cell next door. I'll get her in there."

"Are you crazy? This dog is nuts! It'll rip your head off in two seconds. How the hell did it even get in here?"

"Don't think so, the dog rode all the way here in the car with me, and the worst I got was a couple of licks. Just open the door and stand back. Be prepared to close it though. Everyone back away from this cell."

Daryl heard T-Dog mutter something about crazy rednecks, but all his attention was on the dog now. She wasn't paying any attention to him, and he really didn't think she'd bite him, but who the hell knew.

As everyone moved away from the cell door the dog quieted down. She whined and glanced back towards her owner. Giving the group of people one last long look she trotted back over to the side of the bunk.

Reaching down Daryl gave her a couple of strokes along the top of her head. When she didn't react negatively to that, Daryl took a deep breath and scooped her up, holding the scruff of her neck tightly, and away from his body.

She let out a squeal so loud it almost caused Daryl to drop her. The sound was more fitting for a pot bellied pig than a pit bull. As the dog started to thrash in his arms, he carried her quickly to the cell next door. "Pull the door shut behind me, but don't lock it," he called out to Rick.

Entering the cell he began to bend over, intending to place her nicely on the ground, but she twisted violently breaking his grip. She landed on the ground with a thud. As she bounded back on her feet, Daryl was already closing the cell door behind him. Rick quickly turned the key in the lock.

Daryl began to turn away but looked back as the dog began to throw herself against the cell door, screaming. As she jumped up she tried to push off the door, but her feet kept slipping between the bars and over and over again she landed on her side or back.

"She's gonna hurt herself, we can't just leave her in there." Carl said frantically. Indeed, the sight of the animal's attempts to reach her owner were heartbreaking.

Daryl sighed. "Open it back up. I'll put her out in the yard. Maybe then she'll calm down a bit. Everyone's in here right?" At Rick's nod he braced himself to go back into the cell. This time he didn't know what to expect. "On the count of three. Ready? One, two, three!"

They had timed it perfectly. As Daryl opened the door, the animal had just tried to unsuccessfully push off again. He managed to get in before she had gotten back on her feet. When the dog saw Daryl had entered the cell, she stopped screaming. She started quivering all over, the stress of being separated from the woman next door was apparent. Leaning over Daryl scooped her back up. This time she didn't try to flail or get down. He carried out to the yard and set her down by the SUV. She immediately ran back to the door that they just came out of.

"Stupid dog," Daryl muttered. Still he couldn't just shove her out of the way and go back in. He'd deny it to anyone but the dog's loyalty had touched him. Opening one of the rear doors to the Range Rover, he pulled out a blanket and what was obviously a dog toy. "Come here girl." he called, whistling. "Come on over here."

The dog turned and seeing Daryl spreading the blanket out on the ground trotted over. As soon as Daryl was finished he placed the toy on the blanket and stepped back. The dog stepped onto the blanket but didn't lay down as he had hoped. Instead she sat down and started to howl.

Grimacing at the commotion Daryl said to the dog, "Well, the noise level's the same, but at least you aren't gonna break a leg doing that." He turned round and walked back into the prison.

Walking back into Cell Block C he moved quickly through the common room to where the group was gathered. Rick, Carl, Lori, T-Dog, Glenn and Maggie were a few feet back from the cell door. Rick was the first one to address him. "What the hell happened Daryl?"

Before he could answer Hershel called out from inside the cell. "Telling you can wait, I need to hear it first." Daryl shrugged and moved over to the doorway.

"What do you need to know?" He asked. He tried not to look directly at the woman laying on the bed. All of her clothes except her underwear had been removed and her nakedness made him uncomfortable.

"Well for starters, how'd she get this way?" Hershel asked, his voice filled with exasperation.

Daryl quickly gave Hershel the broad strokes of the story. It was enough. "Are you sure they didn't rape her?" Hershel asked.

"Didn't seem like it, don't think there was enough time. 'Sides, she still had her pants on when I found 'em." Daryl said, staring at the ceiling.

"Well, there was enough time to do a fair amount of damage, at any rate. Don't think she's in too bad of shape, except for some broken ribs. This cut's gonna scar though. Shame, such a pretty face too." Hershel trailed off, talking more to himself than anyone else.

Pretty? How could Hershel tell? One whole side of her face was swollen and bruised and the other wasn't exactly mark free either. She did look better now that Carol had washed the blood from her, but still...

Daryl turned and walked out of the cell block. Figured everyone had the idea of what happened, and he had no desire to gossip about the little details. Stepping outside he realized the dog was no longer howling. She was no longer on her bed for that matter. Glancing around the yard he saw the reason why. Carl. Kid must have snuck out here when everyone was listening to what had happened.

As he watched the two of them down by the fence he shook his head. Tag, they were playing tag. One would chase the other and as soon as they were tagged, they'd turn around and the chase would be reversed. Looked like Carl was doing most of the chasing.

Seeing the dog Daryl thought of the owner, of the state he last saw her in. Better get her some clothes. Daryl opened the SUV and began digging through things till he though he found what she needed.

Bringing the bags back in to the prison he motioned to Lori. "Got a few of her things here for her. Figured she may want them."

"Beth grabbed a dress that they've already put her in. Hershel said there's nothing to do till she wakes up."

Daryl looked past Lori to the hallway outside the cells. No one had moved much since the last time he was in there. "I'm going out to keep watch. No point in going out hunting now. Sun will be gone soon."

"Want me to let you know if she wakes up?" Lori was always good at guessing other people's unspoken wants.

Daryl nodded and started to head back out when Lori's voice stopped him.

"Hey, by they way. You seen Carl?"

"Yeah, he's outside."

"Outside? With that dog? Alone? Are you crazy?" Lori pushed him aside and ran as fast as she could to the door to the yard. Daryl followed at a leisurely pace.

"Yeah, thought about throwing him over my shoulder and hauling him back inside. Could still do it if you want," he said when he stopped by Lori in the yard.

She was standing there, hand covering her mouth, and tears in her eyes watching Carl run and play with the dog. The sound of Carl's laughter drifted over the field, breaking her trance. Looking somewhat dazed Lori threatened, "Don't you dare Daryl Dixon. I haven't heard my boy laugh in so long I can't even remember."

Smiling Daryl climbed in the Range Rover and moved it over to the bottom of the guard tower. Climbing out, he grabbed his crossbow and looked back towards the prison. He didn't know what to think of the woman he brought in, but for now there was nothing else to be done. With that he started the climb up to the top of the tower.


	4. Chapter 4

"I'm in a bed." That was the first thought that came to my mind. The second was that I didn't know whose bed it was. I tried to open my eyes but one didn't seem to want to cooperate. I tried to sit up, but pain shot all through my body. A gasp escaped my lips as I fell back.

"Oh, don't try to get up" an older man on crutches hurried into the room. Well if you could call it a room. It was tiny and instead of a door it had bars. It was a cell. "You're pretty banged up, best I can tell you got three broken ribs and a whole lot of bruises. I'm glad you're awake though, I was getting a little worried. You've been unconscious for about three hours and you had some nasty blows to your head. My name's Hershel by the way."

"Stella," I croaked. "Could I get some water?" My throat felt like sandpaper and all I could taste was blood.

"Sorry, yeah. Carol? Could you bring some water in here?" Hershel called out. "Is it alright if I help you sit up?" At my nod he lowered himself onto the edge of the bed, placing the crutches on the floor. As he leaned over me I felt the stirring of fear in my belly, but his eyes were so kind, so full of concern, the fear left as quickly as it came. "Move slowly, try not to use your left arm too much. I taped those ribs up as best I could but they're going to bother you for some time. "

Gently he helped pull me to a sitting position. My head swam, whether it was from the change in position or the sight of the bruises circling my wrists I couldn't be sure.

A woman with a severe hair cut walked into the room carrying a tray. "I brought you something to eat, too. Figured you might be hungry." She placed the tray on my lap and with a tentative smile she turned and walked out.

I picked up the glass of water and guzzled the whole thing down. When I finished I poured a second from the pitcher and sipped it slowly. I took a breath and watched Hershel move to the chair next to the bed. "How did I get here? Where's Gertie?"

"Gertie? Is that your dog's name?" At my confirmation he smiled. "She's outside with Carl. They've been playing up a storm. Took some doing to get her out there though. She didn't want to leave you. Finally Daryl just picked her up and carried her outside."

"Daryl?" I asked. I had a fuzzy recollection of a man with sandy hair and blue eyes. "Is he the one that...?" I trailed off, unwilling to go there. I wasn't ready to think about it.

"Yeah, nearly gave us all a heart attack when he pulled you out of the car. For that matter, nearly gave us all a heart attack when he pulled up in a strange car." Hershel glanced towards the door then looked back at the untouched soup on the tray. "Tell you what. Eat your soup and I'll have someone bring Gertie back in here. Deal?"

I wasn't hungry, but I knew I should eat anyways. "Deal, but give me a few minutes before you get Gertie or she'll jump all over me and spill this everywhere."

Hershel chuckled and stood up. "Not a problem. Gonna be tough trying to get her away from Carl anyway. Good to see that boy acting like a boy for once."

After the soup was eaten and Gertie had her enthusiastic greeting, I swung my legs over the side of the bed. Never one to be left behind, Gertie bounced up off the end of the bed. I groaned as I stood up, every muscle in my body protesting. I shuffled towards the door. I looked out into the corridor, and could see doors at either end, but I could hear a soft conversation from the door on the right. I headed towards the voices.

As I reached the door I could see a man and woman talking. Their voices were low, but the tone of the conversation was heated. The man had wavy dark hair, and the woman was pregnant, very pregnant. She saw me and placed her hand on the man's arm. He looked over at me and his expression was a mixture of irritation and concern.

The woman stepped forward, with that perticular way heavily pregnant women walk. "Hey there, I'm Lori and this is my husband Rick. Our son, Carl's around here somewhere. You okay? Do you need something?"

"Um, do you have someplace that you use as a bathroom?" I asked hesitantly. I felt as though I was interupting something serious.

"Sorry! We should have told you before. Would you like to take a shower too? Darryl brought some of your things in, they're over here."

"A shower? Really?" I asked incredudously. Just the thought of water running over me made my body ache.

Lori laughed, "I know the feeling. When we arrived we couldn't believe that the water was still running. It's even hot. There's a propane tank that heats the water in one of the bathrooms. It's heavenly. Come on. Your bags are over here." She gestured to a corner of the room. Two of my bags were sitting there.

"Thanks, do you know what happened to my car and the rest of my stuff by any chance?" I had been dying to ask since I woke up, but afraid to hear the answer. So much of what I had would be all but impossible to replace.

"Oh, Daryl drove your car back here. He loaded up your things before he left. He only brought in these two. Is that alright?" Lori asked, her voice anxious.

"If there's something else you need, I can go get it for you." Rick said.

"No, no. This is fine. I just was wondering. I would hate to lose everything." I started to shuffle over to where the bags were. I couldn't help but grimace as my muscles protested with every step.

"Wait here, I'll get them. " Rick said. Quickly he moved to retrieve the bags. He brought them over and set them down on one of the tables. "Why don't you take just what you need, and I'll bring these into your room." As I approached, he moved to the other side of the table.

I didn't feel threatened by him, but I appreciated the guesture all the same. I wondered if I would have felt differently if Lori had not been there. I quickly gathered what I needed and zipped the bags shut. I wondered if Darryl had looked through all my things. He must have. These two bags were exactly what I need. One was a duffle with an assortment of clothing. The other was my quick grab back. It had tolietries and a change of clothes, plus a water container and food for a day. Just what I'd need if I had to leave light and fast.

"Got everything?" Lori asked. "Why don't you let me carry it. You look like you have enough trouble standing on your feet as it is." Gratefully I passed the items over to her. "Well if that's all you need, follow me."

She walked slowly, which I was grateful for, Gertie trotting along behind us. "That dog sure is something. When Daryl first brought you here she made a ruckus anytime any of us got within five feet of you. Would only let Daryl near you, although I wasn't to sure of his safety anytime you made a noise she'd look at him like she was thinking about making him her next meal. Daryl ended up having to carry her out. Tried to put her in the cell next to yours but she tried so hard to get out we were afraid she was gonna hurt herself. Ended up putting her outside in the yard. Anyways later I look around and can't find Carl anywhere. Wouldn't you know, I look outside and there he is, chasing her around the yard. Almost gave me a heart attack when she turned and started chasing him. Took all of a minute before I realized that they were playing. I haven't heard him laugh like that in a long time. I guess I owe you thanks for that. For letting my boy be a boy."

"Don't thank me," I replied. "I had nothing to do with it. That's just Gertie being Gertie. She loves little kids. How old is your boy?"

"He's twelve going on twenty-five. This world isn't made for kids anymore." Lori answered sadly. She looked down and ran her hand over her belly.

"How far along are you?" I asked. "You look like you're about to go at any time."

"God willing, it'll be any day now. Now that we found this place I feel better about it. Didn't want to give birth out on the road."

"How long have you been here? What is this place?" I questioned her.

"We've been here for just over a week. It's Sevler's State Prison. It's just past Dawson off of Rt 24. We stumbled on it completly by accident. Managed to clear the yard and this prison block. The men and Maggie have been working to clear the rest out as needed. There's some prisoners in another cell block."

At my startled look, Lori rushed on. "There's only two of them and they don't come over here. Don't worry about them. They don't have the keys to get into this section of the prison." Lori paused outside a door. "Here we are. Take as long as you'd like. Do you want me to wait for you or do you think you can find your way back?"

"No, I got it. I think I'd like to be able to take my time." Lori passed me my items with an understanding look.

"Well here, take this lantern. I can find my way back without it. And don't worry no one will bother you. I'll let everyone know that you're here." Lori started back down the hallway, but I stopped her.

"Lori wait. How many are you? Is it just the six of you?"

"Oh no. There's ten of us. You've meet Hershel, Carol, Rick, Daryl and myself, and I've told you about Carl. But there's Maggie and Beth, Hershel's daughters, and then Glenn and T-Dog. The men here, well, they're all good men. You won't have to worry about anything with them. Okay?"

"I didn't mean... I meant I didn't think that..." I couldn't seem to find the words.

"I didn't think you did," Lori rushed to say to me. "Its just that I would think that if I was you, I'd like for someone to reassure me. You'll be alright here by yourself. If you can't remember your way back, stay here and Carol or I will come check on you in a bit." With that, Lori turned and walked down the hall, and I pushed the door open and entered the bathroom.

Ignoring the mirrors by the sink I placed my items and the lantern by the entrance to the showers. After using the bathroom I stripped down and started the shower. I don't think I ever appreciated a shower more. The hot water loosened the tightness of my muscles, but the impact of the water on my skin made me aware of the shear number of bruises that covered my body. As I moved to shampoo my hair, the reach of my arm made me cry out in pain, as the movement reminded me of the broken ribs.

Suddenly I was crying, not dainty sniffles, but racking sobs. The violent sounds tore through me, doing my ribs no favor, but I was helpless to stop. The shear ferocity of the tears left me unable to stand. I curled on the tile floor, weeping as the water ran over my body.

I had no idea how long I laid there crying, but when the tears stopped, and only the occasional gasp broke through, Gertie braved the water to nuzzle my cheek. The contact broke the spell of sorrow, and reminded me that while the incident was horrible, I was still living, and that worse still would have happened. I pushed myself to my feet and with a steading breath, ducked my head under the water one last time.

I headed over to my pile of things, and began drying myself off. As I moved the towel up my legs I was able to see the full extent of the damage. The bruises varied in size and color, and I had no doubt that others had yet to bloom. I dressed quickly, and moved to the mirror. Slowly I looked up. This was what I had been dreading the most. I wasn't exactly vain, but still... I had always taken pride in my appearance. As my eyes came to rest upon the reflection in the mirror I didn't believe for a moment that the person looking back at me, was well.. me.

The right side of my face was not that bad. My eye was blackened and my swollen cheekbone sported an interesting mix of colors. The left side of my face however looked as though I had gone twenty rounds with Joe Fraizer. My eye was all but swollen shut and there wasn't an inch of skin that maintained its original color. My lip was swollen and cut. There was a nasty gash along my cheekbone that was going to need to be closed, and a smaller one by my hairline. My nose was swollen but I quickly deduced that miraculously, it wasn't broken. After studying my reflection for a few more moments, I concluded that besides the cut on my cheek, there was nothing else that needed attention, and nothing that wouldn't heal. Brushing my hair quickly, I gathered up my things and Gertie and I headed back to the others.

When I walked into what could only be called the common room, they were all there. Gertie bouced joyously up to a boy and immediately began to run through her list of play invitations. Lori guestured me forward.

"Oh good, you're back. Let me introduce you to everyone. You know Hershel, Rick, and Carol. This is my boy Carl, and Maggie and Glenn, this is Beth and T-Dog, and that's Daryl over there." Everyone smiled at me and a chorus of hellos echoed in the room. I nodded back. Lori continued, "We were just about to have some dinner. Would you like anything?"

"No thank you, I'm feeling a little tired. I just need to get a few things out of my car, and then I think I'll just head to bed. It was nice to meet anyone." I turned to head towards the cells to put my things down but turned back immediately. "Lori, um where should I put this dress?"

A pretty blond girl, the one Lori called Beth, hurried over. She looked like she should be getting ready for a homecoming dance instead of living in a prison. "Oh I'll take that."

"Thanks for letting me use it. I appreciate it."

"Oh no problem, anytime." Beth smiled

Daryl, who hadn't said anything up to this point, walked over. "What is it that you want out of your car? I'll go get it for you."

"Just some ibuprofen and some steri strips. I need to close this cut up. The steri strips are in the box with the bandage materials and I keep the ibuprofen in the center console."

Before I could even say thanks and without a word Daryl turned and walked away. I was a little taken back by the abruptness of his departure, but as I looked around no one else seemed to notice anything was amiss.

Back in my room, I placed by tolietries back in my bag and lowered myself carefully on the bed. The energy I had gotten from the shower vanished. The weight of the day pressed down all around me. Gertie rushed into the room and jumped up on the bed. She curled up next to me and placed her head on my lap. As I petted her, the feeling of the soft fur on her head calmed me. We were still sitting there when Daryl appeared at the door. The sound of him clearing his throat softly brought my head up.

"I think I found what you want. I brought some antiseptic too." He didn't move from the doorway so I started to rise to retrieve the items. "Don't get up." He said hastily, moving into the room.

"Thanks for getting these things." I paused for a minute and steeled myself for what I needed to say next. "Thank you for today as well. I hate to think how things would have turned out if you hadn't come along when you did." I looked up at him. "How did you happen to come across me when you did anyway?" As I waited for him to answer I started cleaning the cut on my face.

"Here let me do that." Daryl took the bottle and gauze from my hand and pulled the chair over next to the bed. "Came across your dog when I was hunting. Seems we both had our eye on the same rabbit. Anyways when you screamed she took off like a shot. I just followed her."

"I screamed?" I asked doubiously. I had no memory of screaming. It made me wonder what else I didn't remember.

"Yeah, quite a set of lungs you have on you too. Lucky you didn't attract every walker in the area." His hands were gentle as they applied the bandages to my cheek. "Anyways I got there right after Gertie made her presence known." He paused for a second before continuing. "After you passed out I put you in the car and brought you here."

"But what about the tire and all my things?" I questioned him.

"Well didn't take but a few minutes to change the tire, and I just kind of threw everything in the back real quick. Might be kind off a mess. Sorry bout that. There. All set." He finished placing the last strip and lowered his hands.

As he began to rise I stopped him by placing my hand on his arm. "Well, whatever state my car's in is fine with me. I can't ever repay you for what you did, but if there's anything I can ever do for you just let me know."

He looked at me silently for a moment and then turned and walked out the room. Apparently abrupt departures were a common occurance with Daryl around. I reached over and shook out a couple of Motrin. After tossing them back I turned off the lantern. I was sound asleep as soon as my head hit my pillow.


	5. Chapter 5

Over the next few days life assumed a new routine. I helped Lori, Carol and Beth clean the areas of the prison we were using, do the laundry and cook the meals. The men and Maggie continued to clear out more sections of the prison. My face started to heal, leaving me looking like a color wheel in a decorators office, and there was less and less pain as I moved around. Only my ribs continued to hurt with out any relief. Everyone was friendly and open. Everyone except Daryl. He never said a word to me unless he had to, and even then it tended to be one sentence made up of five words or less. I'd often catch him looking at me with a thoughtful expression on his face, but he'd look away quickly if he realized I'd noticed. Of course he didn't say much to anyone, even Carol, who he seemed to be closest to. I tried not to take it personally.

I saw the prisoners from time to time, but like Lori said they stayed to their section of the yard. They didn't approach us at all. I learned that this group was actually two groups that had meet about 8 months back, after Carl had been accidently shot by a man called Otis. Otis brought Carl and the rest of the group to the farm for Hershel to treat him. Once I learned Hershel was a veterinarian I showed him the medical supplies I had in the SUV.

He was thrilled as he looked through the boxes. "Why you have just about everything in here. Antibiotics, IVs, painkillers, surgical supplies, bandage materials. Geez you even have a portable anesthesia machine. Where did you get all this?" He asked me with wonder.

"I pilfered the hospital I used to work at. The ER keeps just about everything on hand, you just have to know where to look. Why don't we split this up, keep half in the car, half in the prison. That way we'll have easy access to it if we need it, but we won't lose everything if we have to leave quickly."

"What did you do at the hospital? Were you a doctor?" Hershel asked.

I laughed, "No, I didn't have a big enough ego to be a doc. I was a NP. I worked in the ER. Guess I liked the variety of things I got to do there." I replied.

"Well I'm glad to have someone else here with some training. I've been worried about what'll happen when Lori has her baby. I've been teaching Carol some things and she's great under pressure, but there's only so much I can teach her. Besides, human anatomy is a little different than my typical patients."

"Are you expecting any problems with delivery?" I asked concerned. Lori had really gone out of her way to try to make me comfortable here. I didn't like thinking that something might go wrong with her delivery.

Hershel sighed, leaning against the tailgate of the SUV. "Carl had to be delivered by c-section."

"That puts her in greater risk of needed a repeat section, or of uterine rupture and hemorrhage. Do you have an idea of when her actual due date is?" If we knew her due date we could possibly do a c-section shortly before she was due. She'd be at higher risk of infection, and her recovery would take longer, but it just may be worth the risk.

"No, she's not sure exactly when she got pregnant and it's not like we've been able to keep a calender going. I'm not even sure of what today's date is." Hershel said sadly.

Smiling I moved to the front of the car. I reached into the bag that was on the passenger floor. Holding my hand behind my back I approached Hershel.

"What you got there?" Hershel asked. His curiosity reminded me of a little kid getting a surprise.

"Ta da!" I cried out as I brought my hand around to the front.

Hershel looked at me stupidly for a moment before a smile lit up his face. "Does it work? I mean how?"

I pressed the button and the ipod came to life. "Today's date is May 4th and it is 9:53 in the morning. I have a car charger for it. I can't tell you how grateful I was for this thing on the road. Just to hear another voice, to hear music. Sometimes I think it was this little thing that kept me sane. Oh! Oh! and if you like that, you'll love this!" I reached behind a box and pulled out a portable MP3 player. "This thing has rechargeable batteries, and I was able to keep it charged off the Range Rover. We can play music."

Hershel's laugh boomed out of him. "Well play it then, lets hear something."

Quickly I placed the ipod in the dock and chose a song. The sweet sound of Etta James drifted out of the speakers.

Just then Daryl arrived back at the prison. He made his way as quickly as he could around the walkers surrounding the fences. He wasn't as agile as he typically was. He was towing a deer.

Hershel clapped a hand onto my shoulder. "I think tonight between your music and that deer, we're gonna have to have a party." His smile stretched from ear to ear.

A party it was. Everyone was in a great mood. For the first time in a long time, everyone ate as much as they could. Stuffed as they were, it didn't stop people from dancing.

"What else you got on there?" Carl asked, his whole body bouncing from excitement. "Do you have any Keesha?"

"Maybe," I replied coyly. "I suppose you'll just have to look and see." Carl all but dived at the player.

"Oh my God! You have everything. Do you think I can play one?" Carl asked, his eyes hopeful.

"Well I don't see why not. But maybe just one Keesha song though. It might not be to everyone's liking." I couldn't help but smile broadly at his enthusiasm.

As Keesha boomed out of the speakers I was surprised at the group's reaction. No one stopped dancing and even Hershel tapped his foot along to the rhythm. The only one that was quiet was Daryl.

I don't know why but I decided to move over next to him. Maybe it was because he looked so uncomfortable. "Song not to your liking?" I asked as I lowered myself into the seat next to him.

"Never heard it before. Can't say there was much call for this type of music where I come from." Daryl said.

I looked at him with surprise. "What?" he asked.

"Nothing, its just the most you've ever said to me. Wasn't expecting that." Daryl just looked at me wryly. "So where you from Daryl?"

"Northwest Georgia, right on the Tenessee border. Lived a few miles outside of a tiny town called Miles Peak. Sounds a whole lot nicer than it was. What about you? You ain't some Georgia girl."

I laughed, "You're right about that. I'm from Boston. Worked at Mass General. Lived in the area all my life. My whole family was there."

Daryl looked at me sympathetically. "Heard Boston was a nightmare. Wasn't it one of the first places hit?"

"Yeah, the first few cases we saw, we had no idea what was going on. I saw four cases that first night. By the time I woke up the next morning the whole state was in utter chaos. Guess I'm lucky though, if I had been working the next shift, well I don't think I'd be here today. For that matter if my husband and I hadn't just decided to move out of the city.. We closed on a house in the suburbs a week before. Guess some things just add up to timing. Anyways, when everything went to hell we went up to my family's place in Maine. It was way out in the middle of nowhere. Stayed there for a few months, but when the weather started to get cooler we decided that we should head south. Winters in New England aren't exactly friendly. We headed back down to the city. Looked for our family on the way, but didn't find anyone. Anyways we came down south, wintered over in South Carolina."

"You were married?" Daryl asked hesitantly.

"Six years. He was my college sweethart. He asked me to marry him the day I graduated from graduate school." I smiled at the memory. Jack had looked so nervous as he got down on his knee. The memory stung though, knowing I'd never see Jack's face again. I decided to move the conversation back. "Did you ever go to Boston?"

Daryl looked at me as though I'd suddenly grown a horn out of the top of my head. After a moment he answered my question. "Never been anywhere. Before this don't think I'd ever gone more than thirty miles from where I was born."

As we sat there quietly for a moment the music changed to Johnny Cash. "Quite a collection you have there. Is there anything you don't have?" Daryl asked.

"Oh not much, I always loved music. Just about any type of music. My favorite has to be classic rock though."

"How come?"

"I think its because music really meant something then, really represented a whole generation and their beliefs. Besides, my dad was a huge music buff. Always had the Beatles or the Stones playing. Must have just made an impression. Do you have any favorites?"

Daryl and I sat there talking about music. I was surprised at how easy he truly was to talk to. The conversation flowed so naturally I didn't even notice as people began drifting away one by on. Maggie's voice broke into our conversation.

"Goodnight guys, Daryl, you'll bank the fire when you two head in?" I looked around surprised to see everyone else had headed to bed.

"I should probably head in too." I said, somewhat reluctantly. I didn't want the night to end but knew the next day would be full of hard work. "Goodnight Daryl," I said quietly.

"Goodnight" he replied.

I picked up the speakers and shut off the music. Glancing over one last time I called Gertie and headed inside.


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry to everyone that started reading this before. I had to take down a couple of chapters because I realized I hadn't put the first Daryl POV in. The main story is told by Stella in the first person, but I felt that it was important to see what Daryl was thinking here and there. His POV is always told in the third person though. Hope that doesn't bother too many people. But let me know what you think. I'd love some reviews, but be gentle. This is my first attempt to ever write anything. Thanks**

Daryl's POV

Daryl looked after Stella as she headed inside. He wished she had stayed with him. Talking to her had been easy. Well, not at first, but once they got on the subject of music it was. Daryl had spent many nights by himself in his family's cabin, with nothing but the TV or the radio for company. TV didn't come in too good, and he didn't really like the shows on it anyway. The world they depicted was nothing like the world he knew. Radio was better. That he understood. Hank Williams, George Strait, they sang about stuff he knew, most of it anyway.

When she first came over and sat next to him, he had groaned inwardly. She made him feel so awkward. He knew she was a northerner, and she was obviously educated. He hadn't even finished high school. She tended to use words he never even heard before. Not all the time but occasionally. She didn't do it in a way that made him think that she was trying to impress people, it was just the way she talked. She even used the word 'whom'.

Over the last few days he had become tuned into her without even realizing it. He supposed at first it was because he felt somewhat responsible for her. He quickly came to respect and admire her though. Although she must have felt like hell the full first day here, she got out of bed at the same time as everyone else, and insisted that she be given tasks to do. Hershel tried to keep her in bed but she refused. They finally compromised on the fact that she wouldn't lift anything and would rest frequently. Even Rick, who had grumbled the first day about having another mouth to feed, quickly began to refer to her as a part of the group.

He found that he liked watching her as she moved around the camp. She had been leaving her hair down since she arrived and he frequently found himself staring at it. It hung almost to her waist in a cascade of unruly curls and was a light golden blonde. When the wind blew it lifted and swirled around her. He had never seen anything like it. A couple of times she had looked at him while he was watching her. He had looked away quickly but had felt the burn of embarrassment creep up his face and hoped she hadn't noticed.

Anytime she had talked to him in the last few days he had all but tripped over his own tongue saying something back. What came out was inevitably rude, even for his standards. It didn't help that her bruises were fading either. Hershel was wrong, she wasn't pretty. She was stunning. There was a picture Daryl remembered seeing of a beach in the Caribbean. Her eyes were the exact blue-green of the water. She had high cheekbones and an easy smile. She smiled a lot, at least at other people.

Tonight though she had smiled at him. When she did he felt this warm glow deep within his belly. He had never really felt anything like that before. Of course he didn't have much to compare it to. Nice girls didn't talk to or smile at the Dixons. The girls that did talk to him tended to be out for fun, not conversation. His longest and most serious relationship had been with a girl that he had tended to run into somewhat regularly at the local honky tonk. He didn't think that he spoken to her as much as he talked to Stella tonight.

When Maggie had said goodnight to them earlier, Daryl felt a stirring of joy at the thought of being alone with Stella. He thought maybe he'd even ask her to dance, something he'd never do in front of others. But she had looked around and seen that everyone else had gone in, and got up immediately to go. Of course she didn't want to be alone with him, she had just been being nice talking to him all night.


	7. Chapter 7

**I know this is a little short, and a little awkward, but I think Stella would be a little awkward about such a change in Daryl. **

The next day I got out of bed with a bit more zeal than I had previously. Last night I had a great time. Seeing everyone let go and have a good time reminded me of the time before the world changed. My family used to have BBQ's during the summer at the cabin in Maine. Afterwards we would sit around a campfire and listen to music and eat s'mores. Well the people had changed and there weren't any s'mores, but that had to have been the best time I'd had since this whole thing started. The highlight of the night, surprisingly, had been Daryl Dixon.

The night had flown by talking to him. I had even hoped that he might ask me to dance when "_Into the Mystic_" by Van Morrison had come on. I had mentioned that it was my favorite and for a moment he looked like maybe he would. But the moment passed and he started talking about something else.

Humming, I brushed my hair and changed into my clothes for the day. Pushing aside the curtain T-dog had hung up for me, I hurried towards the bathroom to get my morning routine done so I could start my day.

Hershel was still insisting that I not lift anything bigger than a fork, and I must say I was secretly glad today. Today was a laundry day. I hated doing laundry. Always had. Because Lori and Carol would be busy with that all day, I'd be in charge of the meals for everyone. There was still so much deer left over, I had no illusions what those meals would consist of.

Stepping outside I began gathering up things to cook up some steaks for everyone. Daryl was leaning against a fence talking to Maggie. Perfect. I figured everyone would be pretty sick of deer soon, and maybe the two of them would be able to find some stuff so that I could make it into a stew.

After I got the cooking fire going, I cut some meat off the deer and threw it in the pan. Moving it close enough to the fire so that it would start to cook slowly, I headed over to where the two of them were talking. "Morning you two," I called out.

Maggie looked over and smiled. "Some party last night huh? Don't think I've seen my Dad that happy since before we left the farm."

"Yeah that wasn't to shabby at all. Couldn't help but laugh at Carl following Beth around like a puppy all night. Oh to be young again and have your first crush." Laughing I stopped as I reached them. Daryl was silent, studying the dirt by his feet. "What'd you think Daryl? Should we do it again sometime?"

Without looking my way he shrugged his shoulders and said, "Not my type of thing, but you people go ahead and do whatever you want." He turned to move away, but I stopped him as I continued.

"Well I was hoping to ask you and Maggie for a favor today. We have all that deer, but not a lot of vegetables or anything else. I was hoping maybe you two could go see what you might be able to find in the woods. I know there's a lot of wild onion and other tubers around that would taste pretty tasty in a stew..." I let my voice trail off.

"That's a good idea," Maggie said. "It's probably time that we start looking for patches of things that are growing wild and map them out anyway. What do you think Daryl?"

"Whatever. It's fine I guess."

"Alright, I'll go let everyone know that we're heading out. Meet you back here in 20?" Daryl simply nodded in her direction.

Left alone with Daryl I couldn't help but wonder what had happened between last night and this morning. He wasn't even looking at me. He looked at the dirt, the trees, the fence, anywhere but at me.

"So..." I started hesitantly. "Thanks for doing this. Figured I'd try to vary the food as much as possible." When I didn't get any response back I continued. "Do you think we'll be able to eat that whole deer before it goes bad?"

"Probably not," was Daryl's brisk reply.

"Well can you think of anyway we can maybe preserve any of it? I'd hate to let it go to waste."

"Smokehouse. But that'd take time to build and we don't have any materials for it. Look I got to get my stuff and meet Maggie." With that he turned and left me standing there.

I watched him head back towards the prison and let out the breath I didn't even know I'd been holding. Maybe I'd been wrong. Maybe Daryl didn't want to be friends. "Fine," I muttered to myself. "From now on I'll stay out of his way." I headed back up the hill to finish up breakfast and pack up some of last night's leftovers for the scavenging team.

After Glenn, Maggie and Daryl headed out, the rest of us sat down to a quick breakfast. It was going to be another busy day. Hershel was going to have everyone start clearing the lower part of the yard out for crops. I thought to myself that it seemed like bad luck planning so far in advance, but if we didn't the group would have a hard time making it through the winter. Hershel was already worried about it being so late in spring for crops.

"Do you have any seed?" I questioned him. "Where do you even plan on getting it?"

"This whole area's farm land. The local co-ops always carry seed. Don't think too many people made a rush on beet seed. It'll take time to clear the land out, and more to turn it over, but as soon as the majority of rocks are pulled out, we'll see if the boys can't find us some tillers."

"Beets are good, they can well."Beth chimed in. "We should really only get whatever we can put up in cans."

"Course that means we'll have to find canning supplies," Lori pointed out.

"Well I passed a Wal-Mart not to far away. I bet they'll have what we need." I said. "I wouldn't worry about it now though. Don't need to try to find canning supplies before we've even put the seed in the soil."

With a laugh everyone stood up to go on about their day. I glanced around at the mess left behind. It's amazing how many dishes came out of one meal. Next to laundry, I hated washing dishes the worst. But since I couldn't put an ad out for a housekeeper, or have Sears deliver a new dishwasher, I pushed up my sleeves and got to work.

Just as I was stacking the plates up to bring them in to wash I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye. It was the prisoners from the next cell block. I could tell that even in the few days I had been there they had lost weight. Rick had made it very clear to me that I wasn't to interact with them at all, but I couldn't help but think of what Daryl had said about the meat going bad. I had no problem giving some of the meat, but I had no way to get it to them. There was a space between the yards so I couldn't try to pass them anything through the fence and the doors between the cell blocks were locked and only Rick and Daryl had keys. Couldn't see Rick giving me the keys to pay our neighbors a visit. It was a problem that I'd just have to think about.

A few hours later Glenn, Maggie and Daryl returned. I was amazed at the variety of things they had brought back. There was wild ginger and onions, a variety of tubers that Daryl swore were edible, albeit bland, and even leaves for tea. After taking inventory of what they brought back, Maggie and Glenn left to sketch out a map as to where they found everything and what it looked like. Daryl moved over to where he had staked out the deer hide. After a moment's hesitation I followed him. So much for trying to stay out of his way.

"Daryl, I was thinking about what you said earlier," I said. "About us not being able to eat the entire deer before it goes bad. Well I think we should give some of it to the prisoners over there. It's one thing not to give them food that we're gonna eat. It's another to throw food out."

Daryl stood there silently with his back towards me. It was so hard not to push, to wait for him to say something, but I felt that if I tried too hard he'd just shut me down. I was just reached the end of my composure and was about to continue when he said, "Best you speak to Rick about that."

"Daryl, you know Rick's not going to like the idea. Look you don't have to do anything. Just give me the keys and I'll bring it over there myself."

Daryl swung around sharply. "Are you crazy? You want to go see two prisoners who haven't seen a woman in God knows how long, all by yourself? No wonder you were in the situation you were in before."

The cruelness of his words more than the anger in his voice caused me to take a step back. But it did something else as well. It made me angry. "I wasn't asking for your help or your permission. I can make decisions on my own. Today I'm in charge of the food stored in camp and I've decided to give some of the meat that we aren't going to be able to eat to those two. Now, will you kindly pass me your keys?" I placed one hand on my hip and stretched the other out towards him.

He looked me up and down and stalked past me to the carcass. "How much you want to give them?" he asked with his lips pressed tightly together.

"Whatever you think we're not going to be able to eat," I replied, a smile threatening at the edge of my lips.


	8. Chapter 8

Daryl's POV

"She's entirely too pleased with herself, " Daryl thought as he made his way through the maze of corridors to the other cell block. Stella and Gertie following quietly behind him. Still, he couldn't fault her for wanting to give the food to the prisoners. They didn't seem like bad guys and although he didn't really want them in the group, he couldn't say that giving them some of the meat was a bad idea. You never knew what might happen in the future.

He heard Stella's foot catch on some of the debris in the hallway and her quick steps to keep from falling down. He also heard her quick intake of breath. Must have twinged those ribs. Probably wouldn't have been so bad if she wasn't carrying the meat. Daryl had started to carry it into the tombs, but she had insisted.

"You have to have your hands free. I can't work that crossbow and if we come on some walkers you need to be able to shoot quickly."

Still, he didn't like it. Didn't seem right her carrying all that weight with those broken ribs. He couldn't figure out a way around it though. "You alright?" he asked quietly.

"Yes, no problem. Just caught my toe is all. I'll try to be a little more careful." She whispered back.

She rarely complained, Daryl had to admit. It was one of the things he admired most about her. However, the thought of her her hasty departure the night before entered his mind and he found himself saying, "See that you are. I don't want to be picking your ass up and carrying you back just because you can't pay attention to where you're walkin'."

Moving forward Daryl could all but hear Stella grinding her teeth behind him. "She's got a temper on her," Daryl thought, "But damn if she doesn't keep it in check." It would be interesting to see how far he could push her.

"Here we are" Daryl said as they came upon a section of cells exactly like the ones they had just come from. "Dump it on the table and lets go."

"We can't just leave it. They wouldn't know where it came from." Stella insisted.

"Woman, where the hell else is it gonna come from? The meat fairy? Just leave it and let's get out of here." he said with exasperation.

"No." was the simple reply she gave him as she moved through the row of cells into the common room.

"Shit, where the hell you think you're going?" Daryl called after her. When he got no response after a minute he hurried after her. He found her standing in the doorway to the yard, the meat sitting on a table next to her. He knew the moment the prisoners saw her. She moved back to stand next to Daryl. Close enough so he could smell the soap she had used that morning. She smelled like some sort of flower. Lilac, or Jasmine perhaps?

The arrival of the prisoners in the doorway broke through his preoccupation. They were a mismatched pair. Oscar was a black guy in his late twenties and stood about six-two with a solid build. The other, Axel, was maybe five-five and had skin so pale you could practically see through it. He couldn't have weighed more than a buck thirty and had to have been pushing fifty.

"What the hell you doing over here? This is _our_ area." Oscar growled at them, moving closer. His tone make Stella move closer to Daryl, her nearness clouding his head a bit. It also brought Gertie over from the corner she had been exploring. The low growl she emitted caused Oscar to stop in his tracks.

"I'd just hold up there if I was you. Look, we just wanted to bring you some meat. Bagged a deer yesterday and there's no way we're gonna finish it. Figured the two of you might like some," Daryl retorted.

"Oh, now y'all are concerned about us. After dumping us in this pit with all those bodies? How we know that you didn't let one of those _things_ nibble on it first." Oscar remarked snidely.

With more bravo than Daryl was sure that she felt Stella spoke up. "Eat it or don't eat it. We just didn't want it to go to waste. Come on Daryl, lets go." With that, she spun around and headed back to the corridor.

Daryl slowly backed out of the common room, crossbow aimed at the pair standing in the doorway. He gave a quick whistle for Gertie, who was still standing there, growling, hackles up at the two men. She turned and trotted through the door. As soon as he reached the gate to the corridor, he pulled it shut and turned the key.

Five feet down the corridor he found Stella. The waves of tension coming off of her were palpable. Daryl walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder causing her to spin around. The tears in her eyes caused him to swear softly. Quickly she turned away and started back down the hall.

Daryl was caught between wanting to rush after her and comfort her, and going back in there and pounding Oscar's face in. In the end he did neither, he hurried down the hall till he had Stella in his sights then he followed her silently back to their cell block.

Stella continued straight outside and after building the fire back up reached to grab the bucket for some water. Daryl closed his hand over hers and gently tugged the bucket away. She looked up into his eyes, and Daryl was relieved that the tears had vanished. Her voice was quiet though when she spoke.

"You were right, I was a fool to think I could go there myself."

Daryl recalled what he said to her before and called himself a whole list of ugly names. Sometimes he didn't know when he was going to far. "Hey, if you had gone by yourself things probably would have been a whole lot different. You weren't here before. They got no reason to hold you responsible for them being in there. It was me, Rick, and T-Dog that put them in there. It was me they were mad at, not you. Hey," he said placing his hand on her arm, he waited till she looked back at him. "You were trying to do the right thing. Hell, you did do the right thing. Don't forget that."

A small sweet smile spread across her lips. "Thank you, thank you for saying that, for trying to make me feel better." She said, her voice husky with emotion.

Daryl looked down, embarrassed. People rarely talked to him this way, with such honesty. He didn't quite know how to handle it. So he did what he always did when he was uncomfortable. He turned and walked away.

As he headed to fill up the bucket with water he could have sworn he heard an exasperated sigh behind him.

* * *

Sitting around the fire that night after dinner, Carol came and sat down beside him. He was a little disappointed. He was hoping that when Stella came back from getting her sweater she would chose to sit next to him. Besides, lately Carol had been making some jokes about them getting together that were less humorous and more serious. He supposed it would make sense if Carol and he paired up. He knew the rest of the group kind of expected it. They both came from poor backgrounds and they were both... well, for a lack of a better word, somewhat broken. Trouble was, he didn't think of Carol like that. He really liked her, and enjoyed spending time with her but she was more like a big sister.

"Haven't seen you much lately," Carol said. At Daryl's grunt she went on. "Worried I'll pull you into a broom closet and do unspeakable things to you?"

"Yeah, terrified. Thought you might like a break from my company at any rate."

Carol shook her head. "Went looking for you this afternoon. Thought I'd give you a list of things that we're running short on, just in case you came across anything. Couldn't find you though. You or Stella. Where'd you two go off to?" The tone of her voice wasn't quite accusing but wasn't totally friendly either.

Daryl didn't want to get into it with Carol. Tell Carol something, you might as well tell the whole group. He wasn't ready to let Rick know that they went to the other side of the prison yet. "Nothing, just helping Stella with something."

"Hmph. Well what was it?" Carol persisted.

Daryl was watching Stella walk back towards the fire. She had a way of walking that was so graceful. It wasn't overtly sexy, she didn't strut, it was like she floated. "Sorry, what?" he asked Carol.

Carol tracked Daryl's eyes and clenched her jaw. "Nothing, just making small talk."

"Guess I'm kind of talked out for the day. Sorry Carol." Daryl was having trouble focusing. Stella had brought her hairbrush out and was trying to brush through some of the knots that had accumulated throughout the day. As she worked on one particular knot he saw her grimace with pain. He wasn't the only one that saw it.

"Here let me." Beth said, hurrying over. "You shouldn't be reaching like that with your ribs. Daddy said they'll take about six weeks to heal."

"Unfortunately that sounds just about right" Stella said wryly. She readily passed over the brush over.

"My mom used to do this for me. She's come into the my room at night and we'd talk about what went on during the day while she brushed my hair." Beth was quiet for a minute. "I think that was my favorite time of the day, just me and her."

The conversation was secondary to Daryl. He couldn't help it. The sight of the brush running through her hair, the crackle it made, was driving him nuts. "Why can't she cut it like everyone else" he grumbled to himself. But still... it was mesmerizing. The voices continued around him as he watched Beth run the brush through her hair over and over again. He couldn't help but wish it was him. He wondered what the texture of her hair was like, how it would feel in his hands.

Suddenly he was aware that someone was watching him. He only had to shift his eyes over a fraction of a degree to see who it was. Stella was staring back at him intensely.

Quickly he dropped his gaze to the ground.


	9. Chapter 9

"Daryl Dixon is the most infuriating, annoying, exasperating man in the entire world!" The thought screamed in my head. Today he went from being downright rude, to mean, to unbelievably kind. Then as they were sitting around the fire tonight he was staring at me with this kind of pained expression on his face. And then when I tried to talk to him he just ignored me!

Vigorously I brushed my teeth. When my teeth were as smooth as I was going to get them, I bent over and rinsed out my mouth. Straightening back up I looked in the mirror. I stared and the woman stared back at me. This was something I did when I had a problem that I couldn't solve. I found it relaxing, and for some reason my mind was able to wander as I looked at myself. Jack used to tease me about it. He would say that no matter how much I wished it, the mirror was never going to tell me that I was the fairest in the land.

Tonight though it didn't work. I couldn't figure him out. I didn't know why he changed moods so rapidly with me. Will everyone else he typically was pretty even keel. Even if the typical was borderline rude. So why not with me? As I looked into the mirror I tried to let my mind go, but it wasn't cooperating. My eyes kept skimming over my face. I looked better than I had five days ago. The bruising on the right side of my face was mostly gone, and while the skin on the left side was still a sickly yellow, at least the swelling had gone down. Even the gash on my cheekbone was closing nicely. I looked a whole lot better than when Daryl had picked me up off the pavement.

Sighing I gave up for the night. Maybe there was no solution. Maybe this was something that was just going to have to work itself out. Grabbing my things I turned and headed for the door. And almost ran right over Carol. I let out a startled yelp. I hadn't even heard her come in.

"God, sorry Carol. I didn't see you there." I said somewhat breathlessly. My heart was still going a mile a minute.

"Yeah, I noticed" Carol replied.

I looked after Carol as she headed towards the stalls. I shook my head. Maybe it was something in the air tonight. Everyone seemed a little on edge. I turned and headed to bed.

The next morning I woke up late. I hadn't slept well the night before and I really wanted to roll back over and go back to sleep. I could hear voices coming from outside my room. I looked down at Gertie who was curled up at my feet. She looked up at me with an expression that said, "Are we getting up anytime soon. I kind of have to pee."

With a groan I rolled my self to a sitting position. Looking over at Gertie I said, "We got to get a bigger bed if you're going to stretch out so much. I swear you take up half the bed." Gertie looked at me totally unabashed and yawned. "Yeah I feel that way too. Come on let's go."

When we emerged in the yard the day was already underway. Everyone was busy doing their thing. Rick, Glenn and Daryl were down by the outer fence, doing whatever it was they did. Everyone else except Lori was still eating breakfast. Lori was standing by the water containers and I walked over towards her. "Hey, how you doing this morning? I heard you up a lot last night. Are you feeling alright?"

"Yeah I'm just real tired, I felt so good yesterday that I think I'm just feeling it more today." Lori stretched her back as she spoke. "I forgot what it felt like to be this pregnant. The first seven months aren't bad, but the last two... well let's just say that I can't wait for this baby to be here." She smiled wryly.

"Well how about I take a look at you later? I know Hershel's been keeping an eye on you, but I'd like to get your blood pressure and see how the baby's laying." I was sure it wouldn't be long before Lori went into labor. I didn't want to be surprised with a breech baby. "I know OB isn't my area, but from time to time pregnant ladies did come into the ER. Won't be my first delivery." It could be my first c-section, NPs don't do a whole lot of surgical procedures. But Lori didn't need to know that.

Lori was quiet for a moment. "Will you be able to hear the baby's heartbeat?" She asked quietly. "I'd really like to hear the heartbeat. I'd like to know that it still has a heartbeat."

I was somewhat shocked, "Have you not felt the baby move?" That would change things. If the baby had died Lori could get really sick. We'd have to do a c-section immediately. Lori could become septic and if that happened, well it could possible take all the medication that we had to save her, and even then... who knew if she'd pull through.

"No, it moves. It's the baby that kept me up most of last night. Wasn't still for more than ten minutes at a time," Lori said dryly.

"I don't understand. Why would you think the baby wasn't alive if it is moving all the time?" It didn't make sense. Why would Lori be thinking this way?

There was a surprised expression on Lori's face. "Have you seen anyone die? I mean someone who wasn't bit?"

"Since this whole thing started?" At Lori's nod I answered. "No, everyone who died, did so because of a bite. Lori, I don't understand what you're getting at." This turn in the conversation frightened me. I think I knew what she was going to say, but my mind and my heart wouldn't let me think it. She would have to say it.

"We're all infected. All of us. Last year we went to the CDC. There was a doctor there that told Rick. He didn't believe it until someone in our group, Shane, died without being bitten. Shane came back. You see, if I have it, that means the baby has it. And if it dies, then what will it do to me? How will it be born? I can't, I can't kill my own baby. I've tried not to love it, you know? What if it's one of them? But I can't help it. This baby is a part of me. It's my baby." Tears welled in Lori's eyes.

What she was saying was so horrible... and yet it felt right. My undergraduate work had been in epidemiology. Viruses spread, and often people that didn't have any symptoms still carried it. It wasn't until there was some sort of trigger that the virus was able to take over. It was information that I'd have to think about later.

"And what does Rick say?" I knew things between them weren't good. Lori slept with Carol while Rick and Carl shared a room. But marriages, well marriages were like a twelve round fight. As long as you stayed on your feet, there was a chance you might win.

"We don't talk about the baby. It may not even be Rick's. Shane and Rick worked together as sheriff deputies. Rick was shot by a thief. He had been in a coma for over a month when it all started. Shane went to the hospital to get him. When he came back he lied to me, he said Rick was dead. We packed up and headed to Atlanta. I relied on him and I was lonely and scared. We started sleeping together. When Rick came back Shane just couldn't take it. He broke. Started thinking Rick stole us from him... Rick ended up killed him, Shane didn't give him a choice. When Rick told me what happened I'm afraid I didn't react too well to the news. He, well, he won't talk with me anymore. I've turned into a responsibility, something he has to deal with." Lori looked so sad standing there with her big pregnant belly.

I had never thought of Lori as particularly strong. She had always seemed content to let the others make the decisions for her. Now I saw differently. To know what might happen, to have a growing reminder of it any day... to go through it alone, that was strength. I pushed aside the thought that the virus was spreading through my system, it would do no good to dwell on it now. There was a problem here, one that I could possibly help with. "I'm sorry about all that. I'm sure Rick loves you still. It's probably just hard for him. I'll bet you everything changes after the baby gets here. Babies have a way of doing that. In the mean time we'll try and find that heartbeat. Lets meet in your room in fifteen minutes. I'll grab what I need and see you inside. If you get there before I do, you know the drill, everything off below the waist."

"What waist?" Lori quipped. We looked at each other for a moment before we both burst out laughing. Lord, it felt good to laugh. "Go get something to eat. I'll see you in there," she said when we both regained our senses.

"See you in a few." I said to Lori. I had always like her but now I had such a new respect for her. I hurried over to grab some breakfast.

"Morning," I said to everyone. "Sorry I slept in," I said to Carol in particular.

"I heated up last night's stew. Didn't keep it warm for you." Carol said. I could tell her mood hadn't changed from last night.

"That's alright, I'm sure it's warm enough." I looked in the pot. There wasn't enough for everyone's lunch. We'd have to cook. I dished up a bowl for myself and one for Gertie. Gertie dived in with gusto causing a chuckle from T-Dog.

"Hershel, I'm going to take a look at Lori this morning. Do you want to come?" I asked.

"That's alright, wouldn't know what you were looking at anyway. My typical prenatal visits pretty much consisted of 'yup she's pregnant' with maybe an x-ray thrown in to see how many to expect. What were you two laughing about anyway?"

"Silly things. Nothing important." I gulped down the last of my stew. "Looks like it's going to be beautiful today. See you guys in a bit." Grabbing Gertie's bowl I gathered up the rest of the breakfast dishes to bring in with me. "I'll do these when I'm all done with Lori," I said to Beth.

Walking inside I placed all the dishes on one of the tables. I walked back over to the outside door and pulled it all the way open. The air inside was stale. I'd be great to get some fresh air in here. I shoved a large rock that was just outside against the door with my foot. "There, that should do it." I said to myself. Being able to leave the door open meant that summer was truly on it's way. I was glad summer was coming and winter was over. There had been nothing good about last winter. Pushing those thoughts out of my head I walked in to get things out to look at Lori.

She walked though the door as I was just pulling out my stethoscope and blood pressure cuff. I smiled over at her. "Here come sit down for a minute here and I'll get your blood pressure first."

"Do you think you'll be able to hear the baby's heartbeat with that?"

"Well I have never tried to use a stethoscope before, but we'll see. I'll try after I see how the baby's laying. That way I'll know where to look. Now, take a deep breath and try to relax. I don't want you're blood pressure to be high because your stressed."

Lori took a shaky breath and sat down. We talked about inconsequential things as I took her blood pressure and we moved into her cell. "Go ahead and keep your pants on for now. I still have to dig out the gloves so when I do that, you can get undressed." I palpated her belly and the baby was head down and laying along her right side. I grabbed the stethoscope and looked at Lori. "If I don't hear a heartbeat, it doesn't mean anything okay? It just means that the baby isn't in a good position. We'll try to find it later if that happens." Lori nodded and then closed her eyes.

I placed the stethoscope on Lori's abdomen over the baby's back. Closing my eyes I strained my ears to hear something. I wanted to find the heartbeat so badly. After a moment I began moving the diaphragm around on her abdomen. Nothing there, nothing there, and then.. something. I smiled down at Lori. She still had her eyes tightly shut. "Lori, would you like to hear your baby's heartbeat?"

Her eyes flew open. "Really? You can hear it?" she asked unbelievingly. I nodded and gave her the ear pieces. As soon as they were situated tears began to pour out of the corners of her eyes. The relief was written all across her face. After a few minutes the baby shifted and Lori said, "It's gone. Do you think we can find it again?"

"Later, you get undressed. I'll go get the gloves." As I turned to leave, I stopped. "Do you hear something?" I asked Lori.

She paused and cocked her head to the side. "I don't think so."

I waited another moment but didn't hear it again. "Must be from trying so hard to listen. It's probably nothing." I walked out of the cell and headed towards the common room. As I approached, a man walked through the door. Problem was, he was dead.


	10. Chapter 10

"Lori! Lori!" I screamed as I turned quickly back towards her cell. "Walkers got in somehow!" I reached the doorway to her cell and pulled the door shut behind me. Luckily it opened out so unless a walker started pulling on it, it should remain shut. "Do you have anything that we can use as a weapon? Lori what are you doing? Put your pants back on!" She was standing there with one leg in and one pant leg off. "Come on, there's only one of them, but I left the door to the outside open, more could be coming in. Come on Lori! I don't want to be trapped in this room till we die." I could hear gunshots and the sound of Gertie barking frantically outside.

Suddenly Lori began to move. Yanking her pants back on she got down on her knees and pulled out a baseball bat from under the bed and gave it to me. She picked her gun up off the bed and said, "Okay, do you want to try for the door to the yard first or head into the tombs and try to find another way out?"

"Lets try for the yard first. If we can't get there we'll head for the tombs." I picked up the lantern that was in the corner of the room. "Ready?" Lori nodded and then shoved the cell door open.

The walker that had come through the door was almost at the cell. I took a step forward and cracked him over the head with the bat. He went down and I kept swinging till the side of his head was caved it. A gunshot brought my head up and I looked around. There was no way we were going to make it to the yard. The common room was filled with walkers and they were streaming in to the hall outside the cells.

"Come on Stella! Let's go!" Lori yelled. She backed up towards the door that led to the corridors that connected the prison. I turned to follow her, grabbing a piece of rope on my way.

We passed through the door and I quickly stopped to run the rope through the bars. There was a handle on this side on the wall that I tied it off to. This door opened out too, but I didn't want to take any chances.

Quickly we moved through the halls. We didn't say much as we tried various doors to see if they were locked. Daryl and Rick had done a good job. Too good of a job. If we didn't find something, we were going to be trapped with no way out.

Soon we came to an area that looked familiar. We were almost at the other cell block. "Come on Lori, this way. There's a laundry room that has windows. We can break one of them to get out." I said excitedly.

Lori paused. "How do you know this? Did you get lost one day?"

A guilty look passed over my face, I could feel the blush creeping up my neck and staining my cheeks. "Um, not exactly. I talked Daryl into taking me to see the other prisoners."

"Why would you do that? Rick told you to stay away from them." Lori asked, her voice somewhat angry.

"Well we're not going to eat all of that deer meat. I figured it shouldn't go to waste." I said defensively. "Besides, aren't you glad right now that I did? Come on we can talk about this later, let's just move."

"Fine, but just one more thing. How did you manage to talk Daryl into it?"

I looked down at my shoes. "I kind of threatened to go myself." At Lori's stunned look I hurried on. "Well he made me angry. Telling me what I could and couldn't do."

Lori started to laugh. She laughed so hard she had to bend over. When she stood up she said, "Shit, I think I just peed." Just then she bent over again, clutching her abdomen.

"Oh no, I don't think you peed. I think your water broke." Images of Lori holding her back all day flashed though my mind. "Lori, how long had your back been bothering you today?"

She straightened up. "Since last night. Oh God Stella, you don't think I've been having back labor all that time do you?" her face filled with dread.

"It's a definite possibility. Come on, we really need to get you out of here." Grabbing her hand we made our way through the halls till we found the laundry room. Twice we had to stop so Lori could wait for a contraction to pass. If I had to guess the contractions were coming somewhere between three and four minutes apart. We had to get out of here fast, before her labor progressed any further.

Leaving Lori sitting on a stool I climbed on top of one of the washing machines. Planting my feet firmly I swung the bat as hard as I could. The bat bounced off the window with a loud thump. "Shit, it's reinforced glass." Hoping off the washer I dashed over to Lori. "Give me your gun. I'm gonna have to shoot it." After Lori passed it over I pointed the gun at the window and took a deep breath. "Cover your ears" I said and pulled the trigger. A hole appeared in the glass but it didn't break. "Again," I said more to myself than Lori. I pulled the trigger twice more. Still the glass remained intact. "Shit." I climbed back up on the washer with bat. "Going to have to do it the old fashioned way." I started swinging. After about the seventh blow the glass came loose at one corner. A smile formed at one corner of my mouth, "We're making progress," I looked back at Lori. She was standing with her hands on the stool, swaying back and forth. I had to hurry.

Ten minutes later I sighed with relief as the window, broken but intact fell onto the washer. "Come on Lori, lets go. I helped her climb up onto the washer. I'll go first, then help you through. There's a drop on the other side about five feet. Okay?"

"Lets just get this over with."

After I tossed the bat though, I hoisted myself through the window and dropped onto the other side. Standing up I looked around and grabbed the bat. "Okay Lori, come on over." I looked up at the window. Suddenly I heard a sound behind me. I swung the bat as I was spinning around. Luckily Oscar had quick reflexes or he would have been laid out flat.

"Shit!" Oscar blurted. "What the hell are you doing? You could've killed me!"

"Stella? What's going on?" Oscar and I looked over at the window. Lori was dangling half out.

Oscar quickly walked over and grabbing Lori under the arms he lifted her down and set her on the ground. Lori recoiled in shock. Grabbing one of her arms to steady her, Oscar asked again, "What are you two doing over here and what the hell is going on over there?"

Just then more gunshots rang out. "Walkers got into our section of the prison somehow. Lori and I were inside when it happened. We ran out through the halls till we got here." Just then Lori grabbed my arm moaning.

"Shit, she's not, you're not..." Oscar stammered, eyes bulging.

When the contraction ended Lori and I looked at each other, rolling our eyes. What a guy reaction. "Look can we come in? She needs to lay down." I asked impatiently.

Oscar nodded and led us to the door. "Oscar! What's going on out there?" Axel's voice floated out.

"Relax, we just got visitors from next door." Oscar called back.

"What?" Alex asked coming around the corner. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Lori and I behind Oscar, Lori gripping my arm tightly. "Jesus, what the hell is going on over there?"

"Later Axel," Oscar said as we passed him. "She can lay down in here." He gestured to a cell.

Lori and I hurried in, and I helped her lay down on the bed. "I'm gonna need some water and some towels or whatever you have," I called to the two men outside.

Turning back to Lori I said, "Okay hon, lets get these pants off, can't have a baby still wearing your pants." Lori laughed weakly. Gently I tugged the jeans off her legs. As I reached up to grab the waistband of her underwear I heard Oscar clear his throat from the hall. "Hold on Lori, I'll be right back." I squeezed her hand as I stood up.

"I brought some water. Will this be enough?" Oscar said.

"That's fine, thanks." I grabbed the pail and after glancing back towards the cell where Lori lay, gestured to Oscar to walk towards the common room. He followed me hesitantly. When we were far enough away I stopped. "Oscar right? Look, this is Lori's second baby. Her first had to be delivered by c-section. It puts her at a higher risk for another."

"Jesus, are you serious?" Oscar stepped back and rubbed his hand over his face.

"There's no reason to panic. I just want to be prepared. Do have a knife? It's got to be sharp. And I'll need something to stitch her up with. Do you have anything that'll work?"

Oscar started blankly at me for a moment. "Lady we don't even have a knife here, let alone sutures. Nothing that'll work." I let out a sigh. This was the worst possible situation.

"Okay, I have to get back. But, could I ask you a favor? Could you look next door and see what's going on next door? If you can see anyone? Also, could you let them know that we're here? I don't want anyone searching for us if we're safe here." I felt bad asking, Oscar made it plain how he felt about the group, but I needed to know.

"Yeah all right. I'll go check it out, see if I can tell what's going on." Just then Axel ran into the room, carrying a bunch of linens.

"I got everything I could. Will this be enough?" he asked his voice frantic.

He must have emptied out the linen closet. Suppressing a smile I thanked him and took the linens. "Just let me know what you see, would you?" I asked Oscar. I turned and headed back to the cell.

"Where were you?" Lori asked as I rushed in. Panic was written all over her face.

I set the pail of water and linens down. "I asked Oscar to see if he could tell what's going on over there, and to let them know that we're here if possible. I'm sorry I left you for so long." I grabbed a bar of soap that was on one of the shelves and started washing my hands. "Let's see how far along you are okay?" She was almost there. I wouldn't be long now till she'd be ready to push.

Lori moaned in pain, sweat covered her face. "Shh, shh. I'll get you a cold cloth huh? Won't that feel nice?" Placing a wet cloth on her forehead I said, "You're doing great, just breathe though it, don't hold your breath okay? Try to keep your body as loose as possible."

"I can't, it hurts too much. I want Rick. Please Stella, get Rick." She pleaded.

"Alright, I'll check to see if Oscar is back. I won't be but two minutes, Lori." Quickly I ran out of the cell. Axel was sitting in a chair right outside. As soon as I came out he popped up.

"Do you need something? Can I help?" he asked. He seemed somewhat afraid I might say yes.

"Is Oscar back? She's asking for her husband."

"No, not yet. If you like I can go check," he offered.

"That'd be great, just get an update and come right back okay?" I didn't even wait for answer before I headed back in.

Lori looked up at me with hopeful eyes. "Oscar isn't back yet but Axel's going to see if he can get an update. He's going to come right back, alright? Now, until they get back, you and I have some work to do. We just need to focus on getting this baby out."

Lori nodded, grim determination on her face. Just then another contraction gripped her and she curled over her belly. Her eyes focused on the corner of the room.

"No Lori, you can't push yet. It's not time yet." I admonished her.

When the pain passed she said, "I need to push Stella, please." She looked so desperate I wanted to give in to her.

"Let me check you again and see. Alright?" She was almost complete. She just had a rim left. I racked my brain trying to remember the possible complications of pushing when you weren't complete. I was pretty sure when you were as far as Lori there really wasn't any problem. "Lori, I'm going to let you push but we're going to start off easy okay?"

A smile lit up her face. "Easy, sure. Not a problem. You know, I still can't believe it's here. That today the baby is going to be here. It seems like you dread something for so long, and when it comes, well there isn't any feeling in the world like this. To know I'll see my baby soon As much as this isn't going like I thought, I wouldn't change it for the world. I just wish Rick was here too."

"Don't worry Lori. He'll be here. Just as soon as he can. I'm sure he can't wait to meet this little soccer player either." I smiled down at her. Of all the moments in my career, the times I gave a mother her new baby always ranked among the top. This time knowing the mom would even make it better.

Axel burst into the room. He must have run the entire way there and the entire way back. The man looked like he was gonna pass out. Sweat ran down his face and he was gasping for breath. I pushed him down onto the floor. Didn't want him falling over and cracking his head. "Axel, relax and breathe. When you're ready just start talking."

"Well Oscar's helping them clear out the walkers over there. Seems a link in the chain that was keeping that door closed busted. Your husband, Rick? Well he's inside the prison looking for you two. Seems a few others of your group are missing too. That guy with the crossbow? He seemed real relieved that you two were over here."

Daryl was fine. A weight I didn't even know I was carrying lifted off my shoulders. But Rick, Rick didn't know. Just then Lori let out a cry. This was different from the others she had emitted. Looking down I could see why. Blood was seeping out from in between her legs. All those months of malnutrition had taken their toll. Her placenta had started to detach. Quickly I turned to Axel.

"Run, as fast as you can. Tell Hershel, the guy on the crutches, I need to do a C-section now. He'll get you what I need. GO! NOW!" I all but screamed at Axel. I watched him scurry out of the cell before I turned to Lori.

"Honey, I'm sorry but we're going to have to move you. You just hang on tight to me and we'll get there. I promise."

Lori looked at me with tears in her eyes. "Promise me you'll save my baby. Please Stella, promise me."

I looked back at her. "Honey, I'm going to save you both, but I need your help. Now let's go." I hoped I wasn't lying to her.

* * *

**As a lot of you can tell I tried to stay somewhat true to the story line on the show. I hope you all approve so far. I really like getting your reviews, so please do. Even if you have something critical to say. It's the only way to improve right? So far the story has been flowing pretty easy, but I have a really busy week coming up and I'm not sure if I'll be able to post like I have been. I'll do my best though. What do guys think? Who else is missing?**


	11. Chapter 11

Daryl's POV

Daryl watched her walk into the prison and prop the door open with a rock. He had tossed and turned all night. All things he could have said when she talked to him last night had kept running through his mind. Instead he had just looked at her like she had three heads before making some lame excuse and heading in. It didn't help that he heard her up all night too. He kept wondering what she was thinking about behind that curtain.

"Stupid, this is stupid. Letting some girl fill your head up like this." He thought to himself. Trouble was, she wasn't a girl. She was a full fledged woman. Even now when his thoughts should be on something else, he couldn't concentrate. "What would a woman like that even want with a guy like you?" He asked himself. She was a city girl, and not just any city, but Boston. She probably did things like go to the ballet for fun.

"Hey! Hey!" The shout broke into his thoughts. "You want to give me a hand?" Glenn asked, his arms filled with firewood. "Where the hell were you?"

"Mind your own business." Daryl growled. "Give me that. You wait here for Rick and I'll bring that up." Daryl grabbed the firewood and headed for the inside gate. When he got to the gate he had a surprise. Gertie was sitting there waiting for him, her tail making a fan pattern in the dirt. He unlocked the gate and tossed the firewood inside. Gertie ran in, sat down in front of him, and started making noises that sounded just like a baby pig. As he snapped the padlock back in place he said, "You do know you're a dog right? And not just any dog. You are a scary, tough as nails pit bull. You're not supposed to make noises like that." Apparently his words had no effect on Gertie. The piglet noises continued as she continued to try to scoot nearer to him while keeping her butt as close as she could to the ground.

Daryl leaned over and rubbed her behind the ears. The piglet noises transformed into low groans, her eyes closed in ecstasy. "Come on girl. We got a couple more trips to make." Together they headed back toward the cut in the outside fence, stopping every so often to knife a walker that got to close to the fence.

"See you're girlfriend showed up," Rick said as he popped through the fence. "Damn if I know why I said we'd keep the dog. It's just one more mouth to feed, and it's not like she even contributes."

"If you'd lost everything, would you give up the one living thing that you had from your previous life?" Daryl could feel himself getting angry at Rick. He knew Stella had been through a lot, even if she didn't talk about it much. You didn't wind up all alone in this world without going through some things. Gertie had been at her side the whole time. Still, he pushed those angry feelings down. Rick was the boss man in here and he wasn't saying he was going to get rid of the dog. "Besides, it ain't like she eats much. Plus she keeps your boy entertained."

Rick looked somewhat remorseful. "That's true. Don't think Carl would ever forgive me if I tried to get rid of the thing now." Rick tossed one more armload of wood through the gap. "That should do it for today at least."

Glenn started lacing up the hole in the fence.

Suddenly Daryl felt Gertie stiffen at his side, he looked down but she wasn't looking out across the clearing as he expected she would be. Instead she was looking back to the prison. As he began to turn, she began barking. This wasn't her excited bark. This was alarm. Gunshots rang out from close to the prison. Daryl whipped his head around in time to see walkers stumbling through the yard. About half of them were going right into the prison through the propped open door.

A sick feeling filled Daryl's body. Stella was in there. She wasn't even armed. She had even stopped carrying her weapons since she got here. She might be caught unaware,and at the very least she'd be trapped.

"Fuck!" He started running for the gate. He could hear someone running behind him. It wasn't until he heard the screams for Lori and Carl that he knew for sure that it was Rick. Shit! The keys! Where the fuck did he put the keys? He started patting down his pockets as he reached the gate. Goddamn jacket had too many pockets!

"Here, here!" he yelled as he passed the keys over to Rick. Rick already had the padlock in his hand ready to go, even still, Rick fumbled trying to get the key in. "Come on man, let's go!" He watched as Hershel and Beth hurried towards a gated off area. Hershel took down two walkers with his crutches.

"Here, I got it." Rick shoved the gate open. The two of them bolted through. "Come on Glenn!" Rick yelled back.

Daryl swung his crossbow off his back and fired. The walker dropped to the ground. There were so many of them. "Where the fuck are they coming from?" He shouted out.

"Here! Over here! The gate's open." T-Dog answered.

Daryl turned the corner and saw where T-Dog was gesturing. The gate between their yard and the yard that led into the prison was wide open. Worse yet, drawn by the gunshots, a large group of walkers was surging out of the prison and the group was coming their way. "We got to get that thing closed if we're gonna make it. T-Dog! Come on man, I need your help. Rick!"

"I got your back. Go!" Rick said as he reloaded his gun.

Together he and T-Dog made their way towards the gate. Suddenly a walker's hand clamped down on Daryl's arm. But even as it appeared, it left just as quick. Looking over Daryl saw why. The walker was on the ground and Gertie had it's arm in her mouth. She had pulled the walker to the ground and had torn the arm right off. Spitting it out she went back for the other. Placing a foot on the walker's chest, Daryl shoved it back down. He drove his knife right into the walker's forehead. Standing back up he said to Gertie, "Thanks girl. Come on. Stay close." He patted his leg and Gertie moved in right next to his side.

T-Dog looked over at Daryl. "That was close man. Bet you're glad that dog's taken such a liking to you huh?" The machete he was holding buried itself deep within a walker's head.

Daryl looked down at Gertie. "Yeah, so much for her not being useful." he muttered. "Come on we're almost there." T-Dog nodded.

After they dispatched three more walkers a hole opened up to the gate. Daryl rushed forward, yanking the gate shut. He grabbed the chain off the ground. "Shit. The chain broke." He called back. He had to figure out a way to keep the gate closed. At least temporarily. The walkers from the other yard were almost at the gate. He looked around quickly but didn't see anything that would work. Maybe he had something in his pockets that he could use to keep the chain closed. As he reached into his jeans his fingers brushed something leather. Of course! His belt. Daryl could have smacked himself on the head. Quickly he pulled the belt from the loops and feed it around the posts.

With the gate closed, Daryl turned back around. Gertie was a few feet away, barking at a walker. She was standing still, waiting for it to get close than spinning away from it's grasp. Even as he moved to help her he saw that three walkers were closing in on T-Dog. Gertie would just have to take care of herself for another minute. Daryl loaded his crossbow quickly and took out one of the walkers. As T-Dog put the second one down, Daryl took out the third with his knife. He turned back towards Gertie. He could be wrong but it looked like she was enjoying herself. Well even if she was, it was time to put an end to it. He sent an arrow flying. Gertie waited a moment, most likely to see if the walker was going to get back up, and then when it didn't, she trotted back over to Daryl's side.

"Rick? Glenn?" Daryl called out. He and T-Dog rushed around the corner just in time to see Rick kill the last walker in the yard. "Is that it?"

"Yeah, except for the ones in the prison. Glenn managed to kick that rock out and shut the door. Too many were coming out from there to take care of. We got lucky so many of them went in there." Rick looked around the yard. "Where is everyone?"

Glenn spoke up. "I saw Carol, Maggie and Carl go into the prison through that door over there. Glenn nodded to the door that brought you into the cell block the back way, through some corridors.

"Stella was inside when it all began," Daryl said quietly. There wasn't any noises coming from inside. If she was still alive in there, well, he thought he'd be hearing something. Even if it was just calls for help.

"And Lori? Did anyone see Lori?" Rick asked.

"She was with Stella. Stella was going to examine her this morning. Maybe they're in one of the cells." Hershel called out.

"They aren't," Beth said. "I saw them through the window. They left the cell block and went into the tombs. I saw them right at the beginning. They got out pretty quickly."

"Why would they do that?" Glenn asked. "Why wouldn't they just stay in one of the cells till we came?"

"Well what if we didn't come. Would you want to sit in one of those cells till you died of dehydration? They had no way of knowing how many walkers were out here. If any of us would survive." Daryl replied. "Come on, we got to clear out the inside. I say we open up the door and let them come to us."

Rick looked down at his feet. "I can't. I gotta go find my wife and kid. I'll go in this way," He gestured to the same door Carl had used. "With any luck they have all meet up. You three can clear out the cell block."

"No, we should stick together." T-Dog insisted.

"It'll be fine, we can handle this on our own. Let Rick go," Glenn said. Daryl knew why Glenn wanted Rick to go. He was hoping Rick would find Maggie. Daryl wanted Rick to go too. "We got this T-Dog. We'll take a minute to get things together and then we'll go in."

T-Dog shook his head. "I don't like it. Doesn't feel right us splitting up like this. What do you think Daryl?"

Daryl looked around at everyone. "Let 'em go. Don't need a man who's busy thinking he should be somewhere else in there. He's likely to make a mistake." Rick clapped his hand on Daryl's shoulder, his eyes grateful.

"I'll be back as soon as I find them. Help you guys clean up." Rick hustled over to the side door and disappeared.

"Alright, let's get everything we need together," Daryl. He moved away and started collecting his arrows. Gertie tagged along behind him. Looking over at her he was torn. She had saved him, and had occupied walkers, giving him more room to move around. He'd like to keep her with him. On the other hand, he wanted to keep her safe. He had no desire to tell Stella that Gertie had been killed. Especially since he'd have to say that he now had an opportunity to put her somewhere that she wouldn't be hurt. Looking down at her, he wrestled with himself. The decision was made when she looked up at him, tail wagging, trust in her eyes. He sighed with resignation.

"Hershel!" Daryl called out. "Can you call Gertie over and keep her in there with you two?"

"Sure no problem. Come on girl, come over here." Hershel whistled. Gertie didn't move.

"Go on now," Daryl jerked his head in Hershel's direction. Still she didn't move. "Go on, git!" He said with more force. Gertie yawned and sat down. "Go on! Move! Get out of here!" Daryl yelled at her. She laid down and rolled onto her back, blatantly asking for a belly rub.

Laughter erupted from the other side of the yard. Fine, they'd do this the hard way. Daryl bent down to pick her up. She quickly sprung to her feet and twisted out of his reach. As he lunged for her again, she evaded him once more. She was fast, he'd give her that. "Fine, fine. You can stay. But I'm not watching out for your ass, you get me?" Daryl stalked off frustrated. He heard Gertie trotting behind him. "What?" He barked at Glenn.

Glenn was trying not to laugh. "Nothing. Just good to see that not everyone around here jumps when you say how high."

"Shut up. Let's get going. You two ready?" The both nodded. Glenn bent down and picked up a rock at his feet. "What the hell you gonna do with that thing?"

Glenn looked down at the rock in his hands then back at Daryl. "The door's weighted. It swings shut automatically so we need something to keep it open."

"Oh right. Whatever, lets go." The three of them moved towards the door. Daryl nodded at T-Dog. T-Dog pushed the door open and Glenn dumped the rock at the base of the door. Daryl shot a walker that was standing just inside. The three of them backed up quickly.

"Hey assholes, out here!" Glenn yelled. T-Dog and I quickly followed suit, yelling various things into the prison. Slowly the walkers began to trickle out. After ten or so came out into the yard no more emerged.

"Is that it? Where the hell are they? Hey Beth, can you see anything in there?" T-Dog called up.

Beth looked in the window. "There's still a bunch in there. I can't tell why they're not moving. Sorry guys."

The Daryl, T-Dog and Glenn looked at each other. "Shit, we're gonna have to go in there." The fact that they were going to go in the prison changed things. There wouldn't be as much room to maneuver and it would be a lot easier to get cornered. Daryl let out a frustrated groan. "Let's just get this over with. Gertie, you stay here." He said sternly. Gertie obediently sat down. "Great now she listens," he thought to himself.

They slowly entered the common area, but couldn't see any walkers. As they made their way around the bend they could see why. Walkers were pressed up against the door between the cells and the common room. Their weight was keeping it shut.

"Well at least it's like shooting fish in the barrel." Glenn chuckled. And it was, at first. Trouble was, the walkers kept tripping over the dead ones, (the twice dead ones), and falling over before they could stick their faces up to the bars. They started shooting them, but there was too many. They were almost out of bullets and all their spare ammo was in next to the cells.

T-Dog said it first. "We got to open it up. I say we get it open and get the hell back outside. It'll be easier to pick them off when they're coming out the door."

"So who's gonna open up the door?" Glenn asked.

"Well not you chopstick," Daryl said looking Glenn up and down. "Don't think you'd manage to shove that door open with all those bodies up against it."

"I'll do it," T-Dog said. "He's right, you'll never get it open far enough and Daryl's the best shot we have. You two cover me and I'll get the door open. Alright?"

"Glenn and I will take out the walkers closest to the door. As soon as they go down, you get that door open and get back," Daryl cautioned T-Dog. "Haul ass outside and we'll pick them off as soon as they come out."

They moved into position. They counted down then took out the closest walkers. T-Dog got the door open no problem. Daryl and Glenn started towards the door outside. That's when it went wrong. Daryl heard the crash and turned to see. T-Dog had caught his toe on a chair and fallen over. "Keep going!" Daryl yelled to Glenn. He turned back to cover T-Dog, taking out two walkers. As T-Dog straightened himself up, a walker grabbed him from behind. Daryl pulled the trigger, but it was too late. T-Dog screamed as he walker bit into his shoulder, even as Daryl's bullet entered it's brain. Daryl rushed forward to help T-Dog. "Come on, let's go. Hurry!" Daryl and T-Dog hurried towards the door.

"They're right behind us!" He shouted to Glenn as he pushed T-Dog in front of him through the door. "Hershel! T-Dog's been bitten. He needs your help." Daryl hollered. After he picked up the machete T-Dog had been holding, Daryl turned back towards the door and was shocked to see Oscar standing there. He rushed past him back to where Glenn stood. He yelled back, "What are you doing here?"

"That woman that came with you yesterday, she and the pregnant one showed up in the yard outside our cell block. What the hell is going on here?"

"What the fuck does it look like? Make yourself useful. Bring T-Dog over to Hershel and then get your ass back over here and give us a hand." With the number of walkers coming out of the prison and worried as he was about T-Dog, Daryl couldn't even think about the fact that Stella and Lori were safe.

Oscar rejoined Daryl and Glenn over by the door. The flow of walkers had started to slow down when Axel showed up. Looking somewhat panic stricken he said to no one in particular. "She's asking for her husband and the other one wants to know what's going on."

It was Oscar that answered. "Axel, can't you see we're really busy here? Go ask those two." He nodded in Hershel and Beth's direction.

A minute later Daryl saw Axel running back towards his side of the yard. "Wait! Are they all right?"

"Yeah, they're both okay." Relief filled Daryl. While Axel was talking to Hershel Daryl kept thinking that maybe Axel came over because something had happened. After all, why didn't they just come back? Axel paused for a moment and looked at Daryl before he continued "The one in labor really wants her husband though. Don't think it'll be long now. The other lady just asked me to see what was going on over here. I gotta get back and let them know." Axel took off running.

"Did he just say labor?" Glenn asked Oscar.

Oscar nodded, "Yeah. I got the feeling she was pretty far along too."

"Jesus," Daryl thought to himself. "What the fuck else is going to happen today?" At least it seemed as though they were coming to an end of the walkers. When no more appeared at the doorway he figured it was time.

"Alright, let's go in and check it out. Stay together, and watch where you put your God damn feet." The three of them went inside. Quickly the moved through the common room into where the cells were. Checking inside each cell they moved through the entire block.

"It's empty," Glenn said. "We got them all."

"Come on, let's check on T-Dog."

"Think that guy will be able to do anything for him? I mean that looked pretty bad." Oscar asked as they stepped outside.

Daryl just shrugged. He was trying not to think of what was most likely going to happen, what he would have to do. "It's all clear," he said to Hershel as they got close. "Anything you can do?" he asked quietly.

Hershel looked up at him and shook his head. Already T-Dog was drifting in and out of consciousness. Beth was weeping quietly. Suddenly Axel appeared again. He was breathing heavily and looked as though he was about to pass out.

Through gasps he said, "C-section... now... needs stuff... hurry," and he collapsed on his back. Hershel was the only one that reacted, the rest of them all stared at Axel like he had been speaking a foreign language.

"Beth, take Daryl and grab the black duffel at the end of the pile. Everything you need is in there except the anesthesia machine. It's right next to it. Go! I'll follow as quickly as I can." Hershel started shoving them none to gently towards the door with his crutches, snapping them both out of their trances.

Beth and Daryl ran into the prison. "Here! This is it. You take the machine and I'll grab the bag," Beth said. Daryl scooped up the machine and was off and running.

It seemed to take an eternity to get to the other cell block. When he ran into the common room he was sure that he was going to find the worst. Instead he found Stella standing by Lori. Lori was laying on one of the tables, belly exposed. Stella was talking quietly to her. When she heard Daryl enter she looked up. A smile lit up her face. Daryl moved quickly to her side.

"Put it down here. Someone's coming with the duffel?" She immediately began tightening tubes and turning on the oxygen.

"Beth, she was right behind me. She should be here any minute." Daryl looked down at Lori. She looked awful. There was a sheen of sweat on her face and she was unbelievably pale. "What do you need me to do?"

"At this minute just hold her hand. Lori? I'm going to put a mask on you. It's going to taste and smell awful, and you're going to want to hold your breath, but don't. Breathe deeply, I need to get you under fast. Okay?" At Lori's nod she placed the mask over her face and turned up some dials. Turning to Daryl she said, "As soon as Beth gets here get the Betadine out and just spread it all over her belly. All the way up to the top of her abdomen. See her old C-section scar? Make sure you go past that. As far as you can."

Beth came rushing in with the bag and Daryl dove right in. He found the iodine and started spreading. Beth took over holding the mask and Stella started pulling things out. When he looked over towards Lori's face Stella was hooking the anesthesia machine up to a breathing tube.

"That's good enough," Stella said to him as she laid a tray next to Lori's legs. Quickly she opened a stack of packages and dropped the contents on the tray. "Open up two pairs of those packages of surgical gloves. I'm going to need you to put on a pair too. I'm going to need help." She looked up into his eyes. "Are you up for this?"

Daryl swallowed hard. "Yeah, yeah no problem." He just wouldn't think about it. He'd pretend they were cutting into a deer or something. Anything but Lori. He shook his head slightly and watched Stella put on the sterile gloves. He started to reach for the first glove but Stella stopped him.

"No, don't. I'll pick up your gloves, just shove your hand inside okay? Once they're on don't touch anything except Lori's belly or the instruments. How's she doing Beth?" She held out the first glove and Daryl pushed his hand in it.

"Alright I think. Her pulse is really high though."

On went the second glove. Stella moved quickly around the table and picked up a scalpel from the tray. As she cut into Lori's belly Daryl felt his stomach heave. "It's a deer, it's a deer." He repeated to himself. He had to do this, he couldn't fail Lori, not like he had T-Dog.

Stella attached a pair of clamps to the incision and passed them over to Daryl. "Pull straight up, hard. Don't be afraid. That's right, a little bit harder. Good."

Daryl stared over Stella's shoulder at the block wall behind her. He tried not to think about what was going on. He could hear Stella tossing instruments down and picking up new ones.

Another minute went by and Stella said, "Okay you can let go of those." Her hands closed over his and she took the instruments from him. She quickly undid the clamps and threw them into the tray. She picked up a large instrument and placed it inside the incision. She paused when Hershel came into the room.

Daryl felt relief. He had done it. Hershel was here now, he could help Stella. His relief was short lived.

"She needs an IV, preferably two. She's still hemorrhaging." Stella said to Hershel.

Hershel moved to the bag to gather the supplies he needed. "How far away are you?"

"Just got there. Give me just a minute. Daryl? Grab this retractor and pull back. Use this hand. Now make a fist and push down at the top of her belly. Yeah, right there. Push harder."

Daryl forgot his queasiness for a moment and watched Stella reach in to the incision. She slowly began pulling the baby from the incision. Once she got the head out she grabbed a suction bulb and cleared out the nose and mouth. Immediately she began working on getting the shoulders out. As soon as got the first shoulder out the baby came out quickly. Holding onto the baby with one hand she put two clamps on the cord. "Pick up those scissors and cut between the clamps."

Daryl could feel his hand shaking as he reached for the scissors. He didn't want to mess anything up. "But fathers all over the world do it everyday," he said to himself. "They wouldn't let them do it if they could mess it up."

As soon as Daryl cut the cord Stella passed him the baby. "Go grab some of those towels over there and get her dried off, get her crying. As soon as she's dry, wrap her in a new towel. Keep her warm."

Daryl looked down at the baby in his arms. She looked so lifeless. He hurried over to the towels and started rubbing her briskly with them. He was afraid he was going to rub the skin right off of her. It seemed like forever before she let out her first cry. Daryl released the breath he'd been holding. He looked over at Stella and saw her glance his way and smile.

The enormity of what had just happened hit Daryl. He looked down at the crying child in his arms and he felt tears welling up in his eyes. Quickly he brushed them away. "Get it together Daryl," he said softly. Stripping off his gloves, he laid a fresh towel out on the table and gently lowered the newborn onto it. After wrapping her up tightly he scooped her back up in his arms and started rocking her gently back and forth.

Gertie came over to sniff gently in the baby's direction. "New member of the pack, huh girl?"

Daryl could hear Stella and Hershel talking frantically to each other. Carrying the baby over he stood next to Beth. She was holding up a couple of IV bags. "What's going on, how's she doing?" He asked quietly.

"They can't stop the bleeding. Lori's uterus isn't contracting down. If they can't get it to stop soon they're going to have do a hysterectomy. Even still... it doesn't look good." Beth looked down at the bundle in Daryl's arms. "How's the baby?"

For a second Daryl didn't know how to answer. He didn't know anything about babies. Something could be seriously wrong and he might not know. Best keep it simple. "She's hanging in there." He looked down toward the baby girl in his arms. She was so little, so light. He felt an enormous amount of responsibility towards her. He'd make sure she was alright. He'd keep her safe.

Looking at the baby, something else caught his eye. The floor was wet. Really wet. Blood was dripping down off the table. He couldn't believe that all that blood had come from Lori. That she was still alive. His head began swimming. "I think I'll just go sit over there. If they need something, just yell out." He walked slowly back over to the tables by the door. It wouldn't be good if he passed out and crushed the baby.

Rick burst in through the door, Glenn close on his heels. "Lori!" Rick bellowed. Daryl stepped directly in his path.

"You don't want to go over there man, you'll just get in their way." Rick's hands clamped down on Daryl's biceps. It was clear that Rick intended to shove him out of the way. But his hands touched the towel and something else. The unmistakable soft skin of a newborn.

"Is that..?" Rick's voice trailed off.

"Well it's sure as shit not mine, and since it doesn't have slanty eyes I'd say it's not Glenn's either. Here man, hold out your arms." Daryl passed the baby awkwardly over to Rick.

Rick walked over to a chair and sat down heavily. He started at the baby so long Daryl began to wonder if he was alright. "Don't know whether or not to say congratulations. It is after all a girl." He said hoping to get a smile out of Rick.

"A girl? Really? I have a little girl," He said with wonder. Looking over to the group huddled around the figure on the table he asked, "Lori?" His voice was filled with dread.

"Don't know yet man. They're doing everything they can. Just sit tight. Won't do any good looking over their shoulders. As soon as they know they'll tell us."

Daryl looked over to Glenn. "T-Dog?" he asked quietly. He didn't know how much Rick knew and now wasn't the time to give him more bad news.

Pain flashed across Glenn's face. "I took care of it."

Daryl nodded slowly. He felt bad Glenn had to do it, it should have been him. He should have waited for T-Dog before heading back outside. If he had, then T-Dog would be alive.

Leaving Glenn there with Rick holding the baby, Daryl walked through the door to go outside. He wanted a little fresh air and some space. Except it looked like he could only have one of those things. There was a group hanging out right outside. Scanning the faces it looked like everyone was there. Everyone except T-Dog... and Carol.

Daryl headed over to Maggie. She had her arms wrapped around Carl. As Daryl moved closer he could hear Carl's quiet sobs. Daryl wanted to say something to Carl, but what could he say? He stared down at the boy that had seen too much in his life. He exhaled heavily. Lifting his eyes to Maggie he asked, "You two okay?"

"Yeah, we're alright. Is Lori?"

"They're still doing some things. The baby seems okay I guess. Little girl." Daryl looked around for a moment. "Carol?" He didn't need to elaborate. Maggie knew what he was asking.

"We got separated. Guess we took a wrong turn trying to get back to the cell block. Ended up going deeper into the prison. A group of walkers came out of nowhere. Carl and I ended up ducking into a maintenance room. When we came out she was gone. Didn't see any sign of her."

Daryl was silent as he thought about what Maggie said. If Carol had been caught right there, they would have seen something. Maybe she just got pushed back farther into the prison. The halls were like a maze in there.

"Daryl?" Carl said quietly, his voice catching. "Do you think I can see her?"

"Oh, um." Daryl didn't know what to say. He didn't want the kid not to see his mom in case she died, but he shouldn't see her like that either. Lori was a mess. He decided to go for the lesser of two evils. "Stella and Hershel are still working on your mom. We just got to let them do their thing okay?"

Carl shook is head. "Not mom. I know that what they're doing. I mean the baby. Can I see the baby?" He looked so hopeful.

He couldn't bring Carl in to see the baby without him seeing the blood bath that was his mother. Just as he opened up his mouth to speak Glenn stepped outside. He had news.

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**Hope you guys liked this one. I used some of the original story line here. Killing off T-Dog, Carol missing. Hope you liked how I changed it though. Seemed right telling the C-section from Daryl's POV. I mean Daryl Dixon with a brand new baby in his arms... how can anyone not melt. Right? I also hope that I conveyed Daryl's deep sense of responsibility that he feels towards the group in general. **

**This is by far the longest chapter I've written. It's nearly twice the length of any other. Some sections might not flow that easily, but I was trying to keep the timing between events fairly realistic. There was so much going on here. If you have any suggestions, let me know. ****Please review, I love getting them. **

**Also don't forget to add the story to your follows (or favorites)! **


	12. Chapter 12

**So I sat down and this chapter just poured out. I loved writing it. Because it all came out so quickly there is probably a lot of editing errors but I'm just dying to share it with you guys. So try not to judge to harshly as you're reading it.**

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I looked down at Lori's face, wondering what I could have done differently. I must have gone over the procedure a thousand times in my head already. It went as well as I could have expected it too, I guess. Trouble was, I was so slow. If only I had only been able to get the baby out sooner maybe... The words bounced around in my brain and I remembered what my mother used to always say to me. "If only and maybe are the devil's words. They do no good in the past tense. They only make a person fill with doubt." So true. Besides, Lori _was_ still alive.

She had lost a critical amount of blood, probably close to forty percent of her total volume. That amount of blood loss was devastating. Maggie's blood donation probably didn't even make a dent, even though we took as much as we could. If only Lori would wake up. "Patience Stella," I cautioned myself. I knew her body was in shock. Unconsciousness was her body's way of protecting itself. Still, what I wouldn't do for a simple CBC and chemistry.

Rick shifted his body in the chair next to mine. His eyes were closed, he had fallen asleep. I leaned over and shook his shoulder gently. "Rick, wake up."

Instantly his eyes flew open. "Is she awake?" he asked hopefully.

"No, not yet. Go to bed, I'll get you if anything changes. I promise." I could see that he was going to protest. "We're going to need you to be functional tomorrow. It won't be any good if you can't stand on your feet. Go. It's been a long day."

Rick stared at Lori for a long minute and then looked back at me. "You promise? The moment anything changes?"

"I promise. Go get some sleep. I'm sure Carl could use the company." I watched Rick leave. Part of me envied him, going to lay down. My body and mind felt as though it had been a week since I slept. But, even if I could stop running the surgery over and over through my head, all the activity today had really done a number on my ribs. There was no way I'd be able to sleep tonight.

Sighing I leaned over and took Lori's blood pressure for what must have been the thousandth time. As I watched the numbers on the gauge I felt, more than saw, someone sit down next to me. I felt somewhat irritated. I was tired and cranky and didn't feel like being nice. After being alone for months I still wasn't used to having people around all the time. Satisfied that her pressure hadn't dropped I sat back and was surprised to see that it was Daryl sitting in the chair next to me.

"How you doin'?" He asked.

"She's still the same, no change." I answered.

"I didn't ask how she was doing, I asked how you were doing. I saw Rick leave. Figured he wouldn't be going anywhere if things were headed downhill."

"Oh, ah, I'm... fine, you know. Just a little tired." I looked over at Daryl. He looked exhausted too. "How about you? You doing alright?" Daryl simply shrugged. "You know Daryl, you were really something today. It would have taken me so much longer to get that baby out without your help. I don't think either one of them would have made it if you hadn't been there."

Daryl looked down at his shoes then back at me. "You and Hershel did all the hard work. What I did wasn't nothing special. Anyone would have done it."

"Maybe, but they weren't there. You were. You stood there and did what needed to be done. You didn't pass out or throw up. You have a knack for being places where ever and whenever people need help. Take the credit Daryl. You deserve it." As I spoke Daryl looked extremely uncomfortable. I had a feeling he wasn't used to hearing good things about himself. The thought made me sad.

"Wasn't there for T-Dog though, was I?" Daryl retorted. He stood abruptly and I thought for sure he was going to walk out, but he didn't. He simply stood there for a moment then sat back down. There was a beaten feeling about him.

I wanted to reach out and wrap my arms around him. But I had no doubt he would shun the offer of comfort and would probably even resent it. I was even afraid to take his hand. Instead I tried to soothe with words. "Glenn told me what happened. It wasn't your fault. T-Dog tripped. It could have happened to anyone of you. Sometimes Daryl, shit just happens and there isn't anything you can do about it. I will say this, I'm truly sorry you lost your friend." I could see the tension in his shoulders easing.

Tentatively I reached out and took his hand, lacing my fingers through his. Daryl looked down at our hands twisted together. When he didn't shake me off and bolt out of the room, I continued. "You can't save everyone Daryl. But today, you helped save Lori and the baby. And Daryl, you saved me too. Seems like you win more than you lose."

He didn't reply, but he didn't leave either. Instead he sat there, looking at our hands. After a moment I turned back to look at Lori. I was content to be silent, to hold Daryl's hand. As much as I had thought that I wanted alone time, I was glad he was here with me. His presence filled me with a sense of comfort. I closed my eyes to rest them for a moment.

The low moan woke me. My head sprang up from where it had been resting on Daryl's shoulder. I was immediately wide awake. Lori was shifting slightly in bed, and her eyelids were fluttering. I turned to wake up Daryl but he was awake, looking at me expectantly. I wondered if he had slept at all. "Can you go get Rick? Tell him to be quiet though. I don't want to wake her all the way up if she isn't ready." Quickly I took listened to her heart and took her blood pressure. Her heart rate was a little bit lower and her blood pressure was higher. Not by much, but I'd take it. I felt the sheets underneath her and sighed with relief. They were wet. Her kidneys were still functioning.

Rick stumbled into the cell. "Shhh," I admonished him. Whispering I said, "She looks better. Not out of the woods yet by any means, but better. I'm going to get her some pain medicine and a fresh change of sheets. Can you stay here with her?"

Rick looked down at Lori, hope flooding his face. This was the first change for the better we had seen in her. "She's stable enough for pain medication?"

"Her blood pressure is up a bit and her heart rate is down. That's all good. I don't want to send her body back into shock from the pain. She's had major surgery. I'm just going to give her a little and see how she does." I touched Rick lightly on the arm and headed out to get what I needed.

I walked over to where Hershel and I had spread out the medications. I placed my hands on the small of my back and stretched. It felt good to stand. I grabbed a vial of morphine and started drawing up a dose. I jumped as a voice behind me said, "So?"

I spun around, and of course it was him. Only he could move so silently. "Daryl Dixon!" I whispered loudly. "Don't you know better than to go sneaking up on people that have needles in their hands?" The smile I had on my face belied my firm words.

"Quit your bitching woman and just tell me what's going on," he quipped back.

"I'm going to give her some pain medication. I think she can handle it. BUT, the big news is, she urinated. I have to change her sheets." I was all but doing a dance of joy.

Daryl looked at me strangely. "I don't think I've ever seen anyone so excited over a little bit of pee."

"Well, now you have," I retorted coyly. Picking up the linens and the syringe of Morphine I headed back into the cell. As I pulled the curtain aside I glanced back at Daryl and sent him one of my best smiles. I paused as I entered the room. "Am I flirting with Daryl Dixon?" I asked myself. The simple answer was yes.

The sun came up, and slowly everyone started to trickle in to see how Lori was. I gave them all the same answer. She hadn't truly woken up yet, but was drifting in and out. But things were SLOWLY going in the right direction. When Beth came in she insisted that I take a break.

"Go, get something to eat, stretch, take a bathroom break for goodness sake. I'll watch her, and if anything happens someone will come and get you. Besides Daddy's right next door."

I looked at Beth gratefully. I knew she was capable of monitoring Lori's vital signs. "Alright, but don't wake your father unless it's absolutely necessary. Yesterday was really hard on him." Fact was, I thought at one point I might have two patients on my hands instead of just one. Hershel had stood on his one leg with just one crutch stabilizing him the entire surgery. Neither of us had thought to ask anyone to see if they could find him a stool. He was doing so well it was easy to forget he had just gone through a major operation himself not two weeks before. After the surgery, the toll it had taken on him was apparent. He was exhausted. When we moved Lori back to our cell block Hershel moved very slowly and kept tripping. Maggie had ended up walking next to him just in case.

As I stepped out into the hallway I looked around. I was impressed. I hadn't really seen it in the light of day. You couldn't even tell something had happened here yesterday. While Beth, Hershel and I set everything up and cleaned Lori up, everyone else cleared out bodies, cleaned up the mess, and dug a grave for T-Dog. Oscar and Axel even joined in. After helping so much yesterday Rick grudgingly agreed to let them move over into our cell block. Carl was the only one who didn't have to help with the backbreaking work. He got the privilege of being the first one to feed his baby sister. Thank goodness Maggie and Glenn had found that stash of formula a few weeks back.

I used the bathroom and washed my face. The water was refreshing and it felt so good I was tempted to climb into the shower. The urge to get back quickly to Lori won out however, and I headed outside to see what was for breakfast.

Maggie passed me a bowl of rolled oats. I raised my eyebrows questioning, "Are we out of deer?"

"Remember how Daryl and Rick moved the deer inside to keep it out of the sun? Well, what do you think the walkers did with it?"

I looked down at the bowl of rolled oats then smiled up at Maggie. "I was getting tired of deer anyway."

Maggie laughed. "No kidding, right? The first night I didn't think I'd ever tasted anything as good. By yesterday morning I was thinking, 'God, not again'. Only good thing was, it was all you can eat."

Chuckling I turned to go sit down. And saw Oscar, Daryl and Glenn gathering weapons and checking their guns for bullets. I hurried over, "What are you three doing?"

Glenn answered, "Figured we should clear out the sections around us. We're going to try to create a bigger buffer zone. Look for Carol on the way."

I had forgotten about Carol. All my focus had been on Lori. I felt bad that I hadn't even given her more than a minute's thought since finding out she was missing yesterday. "Why don't you guys wait a bit? She probably found a place to hold up for the night and will be back soon. Besides, all of you could use some rest since yesterday was so busy."

"Best get it over with," Oscar said. "Some things I'd rather just get done. You guys ready?" Glenn and Daryl gave their assent and the three began to move towards the door.

"Daryl wait for a minute, will you?" I moved closer to him. "When was the last time you got any sleep? I really wish you guys would reconsider this till you've all rested up."

Daryl flashed a quick smile at me. "Slept about as long as you did last night. I'll be alright." Daryl looked me up and down, a frown creased in his forehead. "Damn woman, didn't you learn anything yesterday? Come here." Daryl grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me over to his bike. Releasing me, he rummaged through his saddlebags before he found what he was looking for. Suddenly his stepped right up next to me, chest pressed against mine, his arms around my back. I had just enough time to register that he smelled like sweat, leather, and sunshine, (a combination that I found surprisingly pleasing), before he stepped back. His hands were fastening a buckle in front. "There, that's better" he said grinning. I looked down. There was a leather belt with a scabbard attached. I pulled the knife it housed free. It was a good size for me, big enough that it would do some damage, not too large it would be cumbersome.

"Thanks," I said somewhat dazed.

"No problem. You keep that on you, always. And get your gun. Carry that whenever you're out of your cell." Daryl paused. "Right, I gotta go. Gotta catch up with the others. See you later."

"Be careful," I called out after him.

Daryl looked back and winked. "You too."

After he had gone back inside I looked down. "Shit. I spilled my oats." With a groan I started back down to the cooking area to see if I could beg some more off Maggie.

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	13. Chapter 13

Daryl's POV

Damn he was tired, and for that matter dirty. Probably smelly too. Hauling bodies out of the lower level sure as shit wasn't clean work. Daryl hoped he could grab his things and make it to the shower before he saw her. Luck was with him, there was no one in the halls of the cell block. Quickly he grabbed his things and headed to the bathroom. As he opened the door he ran right into her. Literally.

"Oh!" Stella cried as she began to fall backwards. Daryl quickly shot his hands out and grabbed her, pulling her close. "Eww," he heard her say. He dropped his hands and stepped back. The front of Stella's shirt was now covered with various fluids and walker remnants, none of which was pleasant.

"Shit, sorry. I didn't see you there." Daryl stammered. Why did this have to happen? All day he had thought about her, about what he would do and say when he saw her. Instead, he slimed her. Way to make an impression.

"Didn't think you had." Stella chuckled looking down at herself. She held the fabric away from her body to keep the moisture from touching her skin.

"Look, I'm really sorry, I'll wash it for you," he offered.

"Daryl, I've seen a few of the things you've washed. They all have holes in them from you scrubbing them so hard. Seriously though, don't worry about. I have other shirts. I'm just glad you're back safe. What took you so long? Glenn and Oscar got back an hour ago."

"I wanted to check out one more area before I headed back."

"Did you see any sign of Carol?"

"No, nothing. We'll look again tomorrow. She might be in a different section of the prison. How's Lori doing?

"She's hanging in there. Woke up for a little while. She got to see her baby." Stella's eyes went soft at the memory. "Anyways, she's doing about as well as can be expected."

"Good," Daryl replied. They were both silent for a moment. Then they both started talking at once.

"I'll let you-"

"I should-"

They smiled at each other. Daryl didn't remember ever feeling so awkward. But it was awkward in kind of a nice way.

"I'm going to go," Stella said. "Let you get cleaned up some. See you in a bit."

"Okay," Daryl replied. He watched her walk out of the bathroom. Groaning with frustration he turned and walked to the showers.

He felt almost normal when he emerged from the showers a short time later. The almost was because he was hungry. He hurried down to see what was for dinner. unfortunately, it wasn't much. Maggie and Carl had gone out and collected some more of the wild onions and tubers. Together with some cans of vegetables she had made a soup.

As Daryl sat down, Maggie was talking about her day, "I found a patch of sweet potato, but of course we can't harvest them till the fall. It's a nice big patch, though. I put it on the map. Carl thought of a real good idea while we were out there. Didn't you Carl?"

"Well Maggie was teaching me how to tell what plants were what, and I thought that I wished I had a camera for pictures, so I could look at the pictures if I wasn't sure. Anyways, thought that maybe the library or a bookstore might have some books on edible plants, stuff that grows around here."

Rick spoke up, "That's not a bad idea. There could be other subjects that we might want to look up too. We could check the library here but if we don't find anything we could stop when we're making a supply run one day."

Daryl looked around the fire. Stella was missing. Although he felt that he already knew the answer, as Beth passed him a bowl of soup he asked her where she was. It was Hershel that answered. "Still in with Lori. Been in there almost all day. Even when someone else watches her, she only leaves for a few minutes and comes right back. Girl's gonna drive herself crazy." Hershel shook his head with concern. "Why don't you take her some dinner? Keep her company for a little while."

"Sure," Daryl said. To anyone sitting around the fire, he sounded indifferent to the suggestion, but he could have kissed Hershel. Grabbing another bowl from Beth he headed inside.

When Daryl got close to Lori's cell he heard Stella's voice speaking quietly. "No, I'll get it. Here, sip slowly."

"Thank you Stella."

"You're welcome."

"No. Stella, _Thank You_. For everything. I can't believe I have a daughter, she is alive, and I have actually gotten to hold her in my arms."

"Um, Lori, there's something else I need to talk to you about." Daryl heard Stella clear her throat. "Lori, I'm sorry. You're not going to be able to have any more children. Hershel and I tried but we couldn't stop the bleeding. We had to perform a hysterectomy. I'm so sorry Lori."

It was quiet for a moment then Lori said, "I have two beautiful children. I don't need anymore children. Honestly Stella, it's somewhat of a relief to know that I can't ever get pregnant again. This world isn't made for women that have a history of emergency c-sections. I was really lucky this time, I probably wouldn't be so lucky next time."

Stella said something too low for Daryl to make out. He waited for another minute to pass and then ducked through the curtain. He looked down at Lori and nodded. "Glad you're doing better Lori. Brought you two some soup for dinner." He passed the bowls to Stella. "That's a very pretty little girl you got there. She got a name yet?"

"Rick and I decided on Judith. It was my mother's name."

"That's real nice Lori," Daryl said.

"Thanks Daryl. Stella, I just realized that I don't even know your full name. What is it?"

"Stella Turner"

"No, your full name."

"My full name? It's kind of a mouth full." At Lori's urging she said, "Fine. But you can't laugh."

"We won't. We promise." Lori and Daryl said together.

"I can't believe I'm going to tell you this." Stella took a deep breath and said, "It's Estelle Imogene Palmer Forbes Emerson Turner." Daryl and Lori stared at her, their mouths agape. "What? You asked."

Daryl swallowed hard. He was trying so hard not to laugh. "Woman, how on earth did you get so many names?" A chuckle escaped. Stella shot him a dirty look. He pressed his lips together. Tight.

Stella sighed. "Well, my parents both wanted Estelle for my first name, but they couldn't decide on my middle name so finally they decided to give me two middle names. My mother was a bit of a feminist and her maiden name was Forbes so she wanted me to have that name as well. And in my family when you get married your maiden name becomes a middle name, and then Turner is my husband's last name. There. That's it. The story of my many names."

"Well I think Imogene would sound nice with Judith. What do you think Daryl?"

"Judith Imogene Grimes? Think it has a real nice ring to it Lori."

"Lori... I don't know what to say. I... Thank you." Stella said, her voice filled with emotion.

Lori smiled up from her bunk. "You're welcome. Now Daryl, help me into a sitting position will you? I'm going to try some of that soup."

Daryl was bunking down for the night on the perch when the rest of the group trickled in from outside. Stella and Rick were in Lori's room, keeping an eye on her. Daryl watched as Hershel stopped outside Lori's room. Using one of his crutches he pulled the curtain aside. "Both of you, out now. You're both going to sleep in your own beds tonight. Beth is going to sleep in here with Lori and she'll keep an eye on her. Now get up and go to bed."

Rick emerged from the room. Stella however wasn't going to give in so easily.

Stella started to protest. "Hershel, she's still at risk for a PE or heart failure, her incision could dehisce." Stella continued to rattle of a list of possible problems.

"And would you sitting here all night, watching her sleep, prevent any of that? No, it wouldn't. The only thing it would do is make you useless if anything did happen because you'd be so tired you couldn't see straight. You've been up for almost 48 hours now, with just a few cat naps here and there. Now go to bed." Hershel insisted using his best dad voice.

Daryl heard her sigh all the way where he was. "Fine, I'll just go over a few things with Beth and then I'll go to bed." Hershel must have given her a look because she quickly said, "Just the medication schedule and her fluid rates."

"I'll go over those things with Beth. Now scoot." Stella appeared slowly in Lori's doorway and began walking towards her own. She must have remembered something because she turned around and opened her mouth but Hershel was too fast for her. "No Stella, to bed."

Daryl chuckled softly. He was glad Hershel was the one that had pulled her out, and not him. If looks could kill. She had been shooting daggers at Hershel on her way to bed.

Soon the sounds of everyone settling into bed faded and the sounds of night filled the room. Daryl closed his eyes and thought about the things he had been wanting to think about all day. The way her hair felt against his arm, the weight of her head on his shoulder, the softness of her face as she slept.

It was the sound of Gertie's nails going click-click-click on the concrete floor that woke him. Daryl rolled over and opened an eye. Sure enough she was peeking in on Lori. Daryl rolled onto his back and started working himself up to get up and show her back to bed. He couldn't believe she was awake. Must be about two o'clock in the morning. Just as he was about to sit up, she came back out and walked back to her room. She was only in there for a minute before she emerged again, this time carrying a blanket and her pillow.

"Where the hell is she going?" He thought to himself. He swore when he heard the outside door open. He jumped up and shoved his feet into his boots, leaving them unlaced. He grabbed his crossbow and knife and hurried out after her.

"What is she doing?" the thought ran through his mind. "Stupid, fool woman." What if something happened to her out there? Everyone else would be inside. There'd be no one to help. Daryl clenched his teeth so hard his jaw hurt. He pushed the outside door open and scanned the yard.

There she was, about halfway down the hill. Even though it there was almost no moon in the sky, he had no trouble finding her. The white of her nightgown was shinning like a beacon in the night. He watched as she laid the pillow on the ground and shook the blanket out on the grass. She looked so beautiful. It just made him even madder.

He stalked over to where she sat. She must have heard him coming but she didn't look back. She just looked forward and waited for him to arrive. "Woman, _what the hell_ are you doin'? Are you crazy coming out here all by yourself? Do you want to get killed?" Daryl started to berate her even before he reached the blanket. He came around to stand in front of her. And stopped dead in his tracks.

She was crying. Or, to be more accurate, tears were simply streaming down her face. He stood there, unsure of what to do. Every fiber of his being told him to flee back into the prison but he felt like his feet had turned to cement. He couldn't leave her here. But he had no idea what to do with a crying woman. She wiped some tears from her cheeks and smiled wryly up at him.

The smile did it. It was a such a sad smile, it pulled at his heart. He sat down next to her, not touching, but close enough so that he could feel the heat from her body. They both stared straight ahead. "You alright?" It was the only thing he could think of to say. He saw her nod out of the corner of his eye. "Wanna tell me what's going on?" She was silent, but she didn't shake her head either. Daryl felt as though she was working up to something. If she needed a moment, he'd give her one. In the meantime though, he reached over and grabbed her hand. He threaded his fingers through hers, just as she'd done for him the night before.

"I had a dream. I dreamt I was somewhere, alone. That I had never come here. In the dream there were no people, no Gertie. There was no one left. I kept looking but everyone was gone." She took a breath. "When I first came here, I felt so safe. It wasn't just the prison walls, but the people too. I could see that you guys really looked out for each other, that you would fight for each other. I hadn't had that in so long. I somehow thought it would start to be like it was before. That life would somehow get back to normal. And I don't mean getting dressed up to go out to dinner, but that it would be safe. It's never going to be safe again." She paused for a moment. "Even if we keep out the walkers, things can still happen. Lori almost died because she didn't have a real doctor. We didn't even have access to the things we needed. We could all get sick, with some bug that we figured out how to beat a hundred years ago, but here, it could kill us all."

Daryl thought about what she said for a moment. "You're right, things can still happen. But Lori is still alive, and we are still here. You're worrying about things that haven't happened yet. Maybe it won't ever be the same, but maybe it'll get better. You don't know, you just have to wait and see what's around the next corner."

Stella sighed and laid her head on his shoulder. "I know you're right. I'm just so afraid that one day I'll be all alone again."

Without even thinking about what he was doing, Daryl turned and gave her a quick kiss on the top of her head. As soon as it was done, he froze. Would she leave? Would she be angry? Instead she scooted in closer and let out a contented sigh.

It was a few minutes before Daryl broke the silence. He had wanted to know the answer since yesterday morning but had been afraid to ask. "Can I ask you, why were you so excited that Lori had peed?"

"What?" Stella lifted her head off his shoulder to look at him. "Oh, um, when the body doesn't have enough blood and goes into shock the organs can shut down, permanently. The kidneys are always the first to go. Since she urinated it meant her kidneys were working."

"Oh, well now it makes sense. I have to say, I was a little afraid you had some sort of weird thing about pee," Daryl teased.

Stella gave him a light quick jab in his side as payback. "You want to see why I came out here?" she asked. Daryl nodded.

"Here," she grabbed the pillow and put it behind them. "Lie down, we can share." Daryl kicked off his boots, laid back and rested his head on the pillow. Stella laid down next to him. Their bodies pressed together from shoulder to hip. "I saw a few through the window when I went to check on Lori."

Daryl looked at the sky and saw nothing. "Saw what?"

"Just wait, be patient." Just then a shooting start streaked across the sky. A few minutes later there was another and another. Soon the sky was filled with shooting stars. They laid there quietly watching the meteor shower.

"How did you know?" Daryl asked when it began to slow.

"Well I saw a few like I said, and this month's typically pretty good for meteor showers, especially the first half. I took a chance."

"And how did you know that?"

"I took an astronomy class in college. I needed an elective and thought it would be interesting. I always wanted to learn the constellations."

"So what's that one over there?" He pointed up at the sky.

Stella turned slightly toward him and pressed her cheek to his. Her scent filled his nose, causing him to breathe in deeply and close his eyes. "That one there?" She rolled back. "That is Bootes, the farmer."

"And that one over there?" Again she moved closer to see where he was pointing.

"Andromeda. That one has a good story."

"Oh yeah? Well let's hear it."

"Alright, here it goes. They that Andromeda's mother, Queen Cassiopeia, was very vain. She could often be heard saying that she was prettier than all the sea nymphs. The nymphs of course didn't like this and they complained to Poseidon. He in turn sent a monster to destroy her land. The King and Queen were told that in order to save their country, Andromeda must be sacrificed. They had two weeks to decide. So the day came and the King ordered his daughter to be chained to a cliff, to be sacrificed to the monster. But suddenly there was hope, Perseus, a demi-god, arrived. He had travelled hundreds of miles and killed Medusa, taking her head. He rushed back to the city. As the monster was about to eat the princess he pulled out the head and when the monster looked into the eyes of Medusa, it turned to stone and crumbled into the sea."

Daryl had been so enthralled listening to her he didn't realize for a moment that the story was done. When he regained his senses he said, "You went to college to learn that? That's not a good story. I could tell you a better story than that." His voice teasing.

"Oh yeah?" said Stella, pulling her shawl closer around her. The nights were still chilly.

"Come here," Daryl said moving his arm. "Come stay warm and I'll tell you a story." Stella rolled onto her side and laid her head on his chest. Daryl wrapped his arm around her. "Well, let's see." He brushed her hair back from her face. "A good story, huh?"

"That's what you said."

"Okay, I got one. There once were three little pigs, whose mother sent them out into the world to make their fortunes. They each built their own house. The first little pig built a house that was made of straw," Stella started chucking. "What? Have you heard this one before?" Daryl asked.

"Maybe once or twice."

"Well see? That means that my story was better. The better the story, the more people have heard it."

"Really? It couldn't be that my story was a couple hundred years older. Could it?"

"Nope," Daryl said succinctly. They laid there quietly for a while. Daryl started playing with her hair. He couldn't believe such a mass of curls could be so silky. "This ain't bothering you, is it?"

"No, it feels nice." She replied, her voice sleepy.

"We should probably head in." Stella nodded against his chest. Neither of them moved. If Daryl had to pick one moment from his life which he could live in forever, this would be it.

Just before sleep claimed him, Daryl had a thought. He realized this was the first time in his life he had ever fallen asleep holding a woman in his arms.


	14. Chapter 14

I woke slowly, reluctantly. I opened my eyes, just a crack, the sighed and closed them again. The sky was a beautiful grayish purple color and was filled with the streaks of red and orange that immediately precedes the sun breaking over the horizon. I wanted the sun to stay hidden for a little while longer. I wanted to stay just as I was for a few more moments. I wanted to enjoy this. Daryl's face was buried in the side of my neck. I could feel his breath on my skin. I was tucked in tight next to his body. His arm was wrapped around my midsection, and his leg was thrown over both of mine, pinning them to the ground. I felt secure, as though there was an impervious shield surrounding me.

I could feel the moment that the sun broke the horizon line and began rising in the sky. "Well," I thought, "the sun kept it's part of the bargain, I guess I should keep mine." I stretched, intending to slip out from under Daryl's arm, but my movements woke him. He pulled me in closer, nuzzling my neck with his whiskers. And then he froze, I felt his whole body tense. Did he regret spending the night with me?

"Morning" I said, trying to conceal the confusion I felt.

Daryl propped himself up on his elbow and looked down at me. And smiled. The feelings I had two seconds ago vanished. "Morning. Can't believe we slept out here all night. Can't believe you didn't freeze in that thing," he said indicating my light weight nightgown.

"Well I was pretty well tucked in between you and Gertie. Don't think there was too much danger of that." Daryl looked to my other side at where Gertie was pressed tightly against my side, then down my body to where his leg was still drapped across mine.

He chuckled, "No I guess not." He glanced back towards the prison. "Come on, let's get going before everyone is awake." He sprung lightly to his feet then reached down and helped me up.

He stretched, a groan escaping his lips. "Only been a few weeks since I've had a mattress under me, one night without it and already my body misses it."

I laughed, I understood how he felt. My hips and back were quite unhappy about spending the night on the ground with only a thin blanket for padding. Daryl quickly shoved his feet into his boots and then gathered up his things, along with my pillow and blanket. "Ready?" I nodded and we headed back towards the prison. After a few feet Daryl transferred everything to one arm and reached down to take my hand. My heart skipped a beat and butterflies took flight in my belly.

The cell block was quiet, no one was up yet. Daryl stopped outside my cell. Turning towards me he passed me my things. "See you at breakfast?" he asked.

"Okay." He looked down at me and I wondered if maybe he would kiss me. I wondered what type of kiss it would be. A soft, lingering kiss would be nice. Daryl leaned closer, and my heart started beating so loudly I was sure he could hear it. Instead he ran his fingers lightly up my arm, sliding the strap of my nightgown back into place.

"See you in a few." And with that Daryl turned around and headed up to where he had his things.

I rushed through my morning routine and hurried in to see Lori. She had her eyes closed when I stepped into the room. I gently felt for her pulse, and her eyes opened. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you. I just wanted to see how you were doing."

Lori shifted in the bed. "Don't worry I was up. Just tired of looking at the bottom of that bunk."

"Well, let me take a look at you and we'll see about getting you up and walking. Won't that be nice? Now, lift up your shirt and let me take a look at your incision." After looking her over head to toe, I deemed her fit to get up.

"Really? I get to get out of this bed?" Lori sounded almost like a little girl.

"Yup, but first I'm going to bring you some breakfast and give you a shot of Morphine." I drew up the medication and injected it into her IV. "I'll be back in just a minute with some food."

I headed outside to get the breakfast. I was smiling broadly. The relief I felt at Lori's recovery was almost indescribable. Despite everything she was healing quickly and showed no signs of infection. Of course I had her on a hefty dose of antibiotics. Her response to the news about the hysterectomy had also been a relief. I had dreaded telling her. But it was my responsibility. I had made the call. She and I hadn't ever talked about if she wanted to have another child. I guess we both had felt it was bad luck to talk about our wants and hopes for the future.

I saw Daryl the moment I stepped out the door. He was a few paces away from the rest of the group. I realized that he typically stood on the fringes of the group. I wondered why. Daryl was such an integral part of who the group was. Everyone looked to him for guidance, for support, for comfort.

I smiled as I thought of last night. A week ago, if anyone would have said that I'd be spending nights out under the stars with Daryl Dixon, I would have laughed in their face. I never would have guessed that he could be so sweet, so tender.

"What are you smiling about this morning?" Maggie asked.

"Oh, I don't know, I'm just in a really good mood I guess. Lori's doing so well. I'm going to get her some breakfast and then get her up. Maybe I'll be nice and let her use the bathroom."

Maggie tossed her head back and laughed. She really had a great laugh. "Well aren't you generous. Here, more rolled oats. Apparently they weren't a real high demand item in the prison."

"Thanks. You know, it could be worse. Could be Brussels sprouts."

Hershel chimed in. "Hey, I love Brussels sprouts."

"Well Daddy, if we find any, we'll save them just for you, alright?" Maggie leaned over and kissed the top of his head.

"I'll be back in a little bit for my own breakfast. And Maggie, I'll take care of lunch today." I turned and directed my next comment to Hershel. "I just wanted to say thank you for sending me to bed last night. I know I wasn't very appreciative. However, I needed it and probably wouldn't have gone on my own."

Hershel smiled. "I have daughters, and I was married. I know what you ladies are like."

After thanking Hershel again, I walked over to where Daryl was. He was packing up a small bag with some food and water. "Going back in to look for Carol?"

He shook his head. "No, hunting. With so many people we're burning through our canned and dried foods pretty quickly. Rick, Carl and Oscar are going to go look for Carol today, and keep clearing out the lower levels."

"Think you'll be gone long?" I hoped the answer was no.

Daryl shrugged. "Depends on what I can find, and how quickly I find it. Here, I want you to hold on to these while I'm gone." He passed me the keys to the prison. "If something happens these will open any door in here."

"Okay. Thanks." I paused. "Daryl, you're good with knots, right?" At Daryl's nod I continued. "Do you think you could help me with something? It will only take a minute."

"Lead the way."

As we walked inside I explained what I wanted from him. "Lori is going to be starting to get up today, but getting from laying to sitting is going to be tough for her with her incision. I want to cut up a sheet and tie it to the bars. It'll give her something to pull on. That way, she'll be able to sit up without anyone's help. The thing is, if the knots let go and she falls back she could really hurt herself."

"I got it. Shouldn't be to hard rigging something up." Daryl brushed his hand lightly against mine as we reached Lori's room. "Mornin' Lori." he called before he went inside. I touched my hand to my cheeks before I followed him.

"Breakfast," I called out as I entered. "Hmm," I said theatrically, waving the bowl under my nose, "rolled oats."

Daryl helped her up and turned to look to see where the best place was to attach the sheets.

"Breakfast of champions," Lori joked, reaching for the breakfast.

"I'll go get you some fresh water," I said picking up her pitcher. "Clean bowl when I back, alright?" I turned to Daryl. "You good?"

"Yeah, this will take just a few minutes. Easy." He grabbed a sheet from the stack of clean ones and removing his knife started to slice it into strips.

When I came back a few minutes later he was just finishing up. Lori was still working on her breakfast. I placed the pitcher on the table and picked up the scraps of fabric. I carried them out to one of the supply tables and put them down. I'd look through them later to see if anything was worth saving.

I turned and there he was. A squeak escaped my lips. "Would you stop doing that? One of these days you're going to give me a heart attack." I laughed shaking my head.

A smile threatened at one corner of his lips. "Sorry, just wanted to say goodbye before I head out." His eyes dropped to my waist. "Glad to see you wearing it. Noticed you didn't have it on last night."

My hand dropped to the hilt of the knife. "I know. Didn't think it went with my outfit." I teased. "I don't know though. It's not sitting well. It shifts anytime I move."

"Here, let me see." His hands dropped down and undid the buckle. "You have it too high. Put it here, lower on your hips. Make sure it's snug. There." His hands lingered, thumbs resting on my hip bones. "Think there'll be another meteor shower tonight?" He asked hesitantly. His eyes flickered up to mine.

"Maybe, you never know. I guess we'd just have to go outside and see." I said flirtatiously. "I should go see to Lori. See you when you get back."

"See you then."

I stepped around him and headed into Lori's room.

"So... What's new with you?" She asked.

I felt my face flush. "What do you mean?" I busied myself picking up her already clean room.

"Oh, let's see. You and Daryl having little conversations, the smiling. That alone is a red flag. Daryl never smiles. And you are absolutely glowing. I mean Daryl came in and did a favor for you and never said anything like 'pain in the ass,' or 'waste of my time'. He actually seemed happy to do it. Now I may have been stuck in here for the last day, but that doesn't mean I don't see what's going on. Now spill."

I turned back around and looked at Lori. She was leaning forward eagerly.

"It's.. I don't know what it is. He's different than I thought he would be... I like him. I like spending time with him." On one hand I was glad to have someone to talk to about things. On the other I wasn't sure I was ready to share what was happening between Daryl and myself. I shifted the conversation slightly.

"Lori, you don't think that it's too soon to be thinking about it, do you? My husband's only been gone for a few months." I looked down as I waited for her answer.

"Stella, I think that in this world, when you find someone that makes you happy, you hold on to it with everything you can. Time is something different here." We were both quiet for a moment as I thought about the truth in her statement. "Can I ask you something Stella?" When I nodded she continued. "You haven't said, what did happen to your husband?"

"I haven't told you? Oh, well, where to start?" I paused for a second as I gathered my thoughts. "We were in South Carolina, had met up with some people. At the time there was seven of us. We had been moving from place to place. Walkers were all over the houses. We ended up finding this wooded camp site. It was sheltered, out of the way, there weren't any walkers around. Seemed like a good place to hold up for a few days. The next morning, I went out hunting and took Gertie with me. She's great at flushing out birds. Anyways, I came back and the campsite was trashed. One car was missing. I stayed in the area for weeks, just driving around. Kept going back to the campsite to see if anyone had been there. Finally I just got in the car one morning and just drove south."

"So you don't know what's happened to him?" Surprised filled Lori's voice.

I shook my head. "No, I like to think that he's out there somewhere, even though I know we'll never see each other again." Flashes of Jack ran through my mind. Jack trying to change a flat tire, on the ski slopes, burning our fifth anniversary dinner.

"I'm sorry Stella. That must be hard not knowing."

"I don't know. In some ways I'm grateful that I wasn't there. If Jack didn't make it, well, at least I don't have that memory." We were both silent for a moment. "Alright, enough of this stuff. Let's see about getting you up." I pushed myself off the chair.

* * *

I was busy the rest of the day. With Lori laid up and Carol missing, work was piling up. Not to mention our dwindling food supply. Maggie and Glenn made a run to see what they could find. But for those left behind at the prison, laundry was the number one priority, and soon Beth and I had clothes and sheets hanging from every available surface. With lunch eaten and the dishes cleaned up, I decided to take some time for myself.

I walked over to my car, opened a storage case, and pulled out my bow. It felt strange to be back in my hands. Using a stack of wood as my target, I began shooting. At first I was having trouble because of my ribs. As I aimed I was having a hard time keeping the bow steady. Before long I started to adjust. When I was on my second round of arrows, a bird suddenly flew across my path. I released the arrow that was already notched, and a moment later it spun down to the ground. Gertie ran over to retrieve it. After she brought it over to me I turned, intending to bring it to the cooking area. And realized I had an audience. Beth had brought out a chair for Lori, and standing next to them was Hershel... and Daryl.

"I thought you said you couldn't shoot. When we were in the tombs you said that you couldn't shoot my crossbow."

"No, I said I couldn't work your crossbow. I'd be able to shoot the first arrow, but I'd never be able to reload that thing. There's a big difference."

"Where on earth did you learn to shoot a bow like that?" Lori asked.

"Summer camp. They had an archery program there. I loved it, and kept up with it. My father used to say it was the most useless skill I had." I laughed thinking about it. "He hated having to buy the equipment for something so 'pointless'. If only he knew."

"I happen to think it was money well spent." Hershel chimed in.

"Oh I don't know if you would have felt that way if you had seen the bill. My mother insisted on the best, didn't do things halfway, and she liked to shop."

Beth laughed. "Mom was the same way, remember Dad?" Hershel smiled over at her.

Daryl walked over to me and said, "Nice shooting. Maybe I'll have to take you hunting sometime." I smiled up at him, knowing what a huge compliment he just gave me. He took the bird from my hand, "I'll go clean this."

"Hold on, I'll come help you." I ran down to collect my spent arrows then hurried over to the table next to the campfire. "Hey, how'd you do?" I said to him as I threw the prison keys down.

"Couple of bunnies, some squirrels."

I sat down and started plucking the feathers out of the bird. "Can we not call them bunnies? How about hares? When you say bunnies I think of cute cuddly things."

He looked up at me then back down at the rabbit he was cleaning. He started to laugh. "Sure, no problem. Anyways, I wanted to get back quickly, help look for Carol. I figured it'd be best just to look for small game." His hands were moving quickly as he cleaned the rabbit. He didn't waste a movement.

"Did you stop to eat?" he shook his head. "Well, you're not going till you've had some lunch." Setting aside the bird I grabbed the pot of leftovers and brought it over to the fire. I stoked the fire back up and added a new log. Placing the pot on the tripod, I swung it over the flames. When I turned back Daryl was staring at me. "What?"

"Nothing, just looking at the view. It's a nice view."

I smiled, blushing slightly. "Stop that. You pay attention to what you're doing or you're going to lose a finger, and I'm not about to sew it back on." I settled back down and resumed plucking the bird.

Daryl left right after he ate. I busied myself by folding laundry, prepping dinner, and boiling water for drinking and cooking. I even had some time to play with Judith. She was such a good baby, and she had taken to nursing with gusto. I was in the cell block setting up Lori's antibiotics when Daryl came rushing in. He had Carol in his arms.

"She's unconscious!" He yelled as soon as he saw me.

"Beth, go get your father," I said quickly. "He's outside by the gate, watching for Maggie and Glenn to get back. Daryl, put her over here." I cleared off one of the tables in the hall.

Daryl put her down and stepped back. He immediately started pacing back and forth. "Found her in one of the cells down in solitary. The door had gotten blocked. She must have been in there since the attack."

As I listened to Daryl I began examining Carol. "She doesn't seem to have any wounds, just some cuts and bruises. Pass me that stethoscope." After taking her blood pressure and listening to her heart and lungs I was satisfied. "She's very dehydrated. She needs some fluids." Daryl began rummaging through the medical supplies. "No Daryl. I want to see if she can handle water first."

"What? You said she's really dehydrated. Why wouldn't you give her an IV?" Daryl looked at me confused.

"She is extremely dehydrated. But there isn't anything else wrong with her. As long as she can swallow, I want to rehydrate her orally."

"But this would get her better faster right?" I nodded. "So give her the IV."

"Daryl, we only have so many bags of fluids. We've already gone through so many with Lori. I don't want to waste them." I tried to explain. Unfortunately I chose the wrong words.

"Waste them? You think using it on Carol would be a waste?" His voice started to get louder. "What? You're only going to save the people you think should be saved? Just because Carol didn't kiss your ass like everyone else here? You think it would be more worthy saving someone else? You just think you're better than everyone else?" By now he was leaning over me, screaming in my face. I was pushed back against the table and was bending backwards.

Hershel arrived at that moment. "What is going on here? I could hear you screaming halfway across the prison yard."

Daryl jerked his head in my direction. "Ask her. She's the one who's playing God."

I couldn't believe what was happening. "Carol's very dehydrated. I want to try oral fluid first, try to save as many IVs as we can."

Daryl looked over at me and threw the bag of fluid onto the table of supplies. "Stupid bitch. Who the fuck do you think you are?" Then he turned and marched out the door.

Hershel looked at me. "Are you alright?"

I nodded looking down, tears in my eyes. "I'm fine," I choked out. "Maybe Daryl's right. Maybe we should go right for an IV."

After doing a brief exam of Carol, Hershel laid his hand on my shoulder and said, "You made the right call. Let's get some water and see how she does. We can always hook up an IV if we need too. Now come on, let's get moving."

I brushed away the tears, and headed into Lori's cell to grab her pitcher of water. Lori was sitting up, holding the baby. She looked at me with wide eyes. "Stella.."

"Not now Lori," I cut her off. "Later." Grabbing the handle of the pitcher I turned and walked back out.

Hershel and I started measuring out water to give to Carol at set intervals. She was swallowing the water, but didn't regain consciousness. We were discussing setting up a fluid bag when her eyelids opened.

"Hershel?" she croaked. "What? How did I get here."

"Daryl brought you in. You've had us all real worried. Here, drink this but sip it slowly." Hershel replied.

I sat Carol up a little so she could drink easier. "My whole body hurts," she complained after she guzzled the whole cup.

"I know, we'll move you into your cell in a little bit, but we don't want you to be getting up just yet." I said to her. "I'll go get you another pillow though. Make you a little more comfortable." I stepped away from the table.

When I got back, Hershel looked over at me. "I should go tell Daryl she's awake."

I took a deep breath and said, "No, I'll do it. You stay here with Carol." I straightened my shoulders and headed outside.

Daryl was down by the wood pile, searching through the smaller pieces. I could tell he was still very angry by the way he was moving. I almost chickened out and went back inside to ask Hershel to go talk to him but I made myself take a step forward, and then another. Soon I was standing behind him. I knew he was aware of my presence but he didn't say anything. After a moment of waiting for him to acknowledge me I bit the bullet. "Carol's awake. I'm sure she'd like to see you." I could hear the hesitation in my voice. I had no idea what to expect.

Daryl straightened and turned to look at me. His whole body was tense, fists clenched, even his eyes were like stone. Daryl stared at me for a long moment, then walked past me, up the hill without saying a word.

As I watched him leave, I couldn't believe that this was the same man that had been so tender last night. I followed him back into the prison to Carol's bedside.

Daryl was leaning over Carol, his hand on the top of her head. "I knew you'd come find me. I knew you would." Carol was looking up at Daryl adoringly. Suddenly the snippy comments, the unfriendly behavior from Carol over the last few days made sense. I had stepped in between something with her and Daryl.

"Hershel, do you need me for anything?" I asked. Neither Carol or Daryl acknowledged my presence. Hershel shook his head. I grabbed Lori's bag of antibiotics and walked into her cell.

She didn't say anything to me, which I was grateful for. If she said something, I'd start crying. I hung the bag up, and adjusted the drip rate. "I'll be back in a little while to disconnect you." I turned, made a quick stop in my room to grab some things and walked to the showers where I would be able to have some privacy, and the sound of the shower would cover any noise.

* * *

When I emerged from the shower a short time later, I was totally composed. And very angry. After I had cried myself out, the anger began to creep in, slowly at first, then faster and faster. By the time I walked out the door, I was furious. The thoughts kept running through my head. "How dare he talk to me that way? Get in my face like that? He acted just like a fucking two year old, throwing a temper tantrum! Who the hell is he to question my medical judgement?"

Jack used to hide when I got like this. It was rare, but when I got going, I had a really hard time of letting things go. One time while we were in graduate school, we got into a fight at a party. Later on that evening I found him flirting with some girl. We lived together in a 800 square foot apartment, and it was a miracle that he survived the next week.

I threw my things into my room and went to check on Lori's drip. I noticed that Carol was no longer on the table in the hall, they must have moved her somewhere. "Wonder if she's up in Daryl's bed?" I couldn't help thinking the snide comment. I no longer felt badly about possibly stepping in between them. Obviously, it couldn't have been serious because Lori would have warned me. Besides, it wasn't my responsibility to find out who was sleeping with who. Daryl must have just been afraid Carol was gone, and was just lining up his next "friend".

Lori was resting when I walked in, the baby tucked in next to her. Her antibiotics were all done. I disconnected her line and flushed the IV. As I gathered up the trash Lori asked me quietly. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, but thanks for asking," I answered, my voice tight with anger.

"Daryl had no right to go after you like that. I couldn't believe what I was hearing."

"No, he didn't have any right," was all I said. I didn't want to be rude to Lori, but I couldn't let go of enough anger to be nice. Besides, I didn't feel as though I had to hide my feelings from her.

"Hershel said something to Daryl, but I'm going to talk to Rick about it. Daryl was completely out of line." Lori was trying so hard to be supportive, but I didn't need or want anyone to get involved.

"There's no need Lori. Daryl did what he did. I can handle it, I've handled worse." Lori looked doubtful. "Do you know where they moved Carol to? I'd like to check on her."

"Yeah, she's all the way down at the end. Are you sure you're alright?"

"Totally fine. I'll see you in a bit. Take a nap till dinner, will you? You're still recovering."

I moved out of Lori's cell and went to the cell at the end. I hoped he wasn't in there. I didn't know if I'd be able to keep my temper in check. I put my most pleasant face on. "Knock knock," I called out as I walked in. Carol was sitting up in bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Thirsty, and my head is pounding." She said. Her voice was whiney, it irritated me. I hoped she wouldn't talk to much.

"That's all normal." I laid my hand on her forehead. "You feel cooler, which is good." Just then Daryl walked in with a big pitcher of water. We started at each other for a moment. Well, he stared at me, I stared at the pitcher in his hands.

"What are you doing?" I asked. My jaw was clenched so hard I had to resist the urge to massage it.

"She's still thirsty, Hershel only filled the pitcher partway." Daryl said.

"Carol, can you excuse us for a moment? Daryl would you please come with me?" I walked past him, careful to keep from touching him. I didn't stop walking until I reached the common room. I was so livid, I was surprised I wasn't breathing fire. I stopped and waited for Daryl. As soon as he stepped next to me I swiveled around.

"What the hell do you think you're doing giving her all that water? Don't you think that maybe there is a reason Hershel only gave her a set amount? We're not doing it to be cruel. She's going to be thirsty, she's going to want to drink. In fact, she'll drink so much that she'll start to throw up, which will dehydrate her even more. She could also drink so much that she'll cause a massive electrolyte shift in her body and get really sick. Jesus Daryl! Use your God damn head!" I yanked the pitcher from his hands. "No more water unless Hershel or myself give it to her. You know, why don't you leave the medical stuff to us. We did actually go to school for it you know." With that, I turned and stalked outside.

The confrontation had done nothing to lessen my anger. In fact, anytime I saw Daryl I experienced a new level of indignation and ire. I tried to be courteous to everyone, but I failed miserably. The best I could do was civil and even that was a stretch. Even Gertie avoided my company. At least she avoided Daryl's too. That probably would have sent me over the edge. Instead she curled up next to Carl. As soon as I could, I excused myself and headed for bed.

When I got to my room I did something I hadn't done since I got there. I closed the door. Even though it was only symbolic I hoped the message was loud and clear. "Don't bother me." The problem was, I was too keyed up to go to sleep. Before, I would have gone for a run, or to the gym, or beat the crap out of the heavy bag in the basement. Now, I had nothing. I couldn't even run around the yard with everyone out there. There was nothing for me to do. I paced back and forth in my cell. Gertie curled up on the bed, eyes watching my movements. Slowly I heard people trickling in. I heard Rick say to Lori when they passed, "Do you think she's alright? Should I talk to her tomorrow?" I was relieved when I heard Lori firmly veto the suggestion. I sat down on my bed to wait for everyone to fall asleep. With no physical outlet the anger kept brewing. I waited until the only sound in the cell block was Oscar's snores. I stripped off all my clothes and put on running shorts and a tank top. I left the knife laying on the bed. As I walked out of my cell I could feel him watching me. I didn't look back. As soon as I was outside I started running and I didn't stop for hours.

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**I found myself getting angry at Daryl writing this chapter! I know it was a long chapter, and not much happened till the end, but.. sometimes you need some build up. **

**This may not be clear so I just wanted to put in a footnote. Stella didn't run from the prison, she's running around the yard. She just felt as though she couldn't do it with everyone sitting outside by the fire. Who wants an audience when you're trying to burn off your temper? She left the weapon because it would remind her of Daryl, not as a f/u, I don't want your gift. **

**Sorry FanFicGirl10. I couldn't kill Carol off. Well, at least not yet. Maybe? **

**As always, I love your reviews. I really enjoy seeing what it is exactly you liked about a chapter, or what didn't work for you. **


	15. Chapter 15

The next morning when I climbed out of bed I was still angry, even though I had run miles around the fence. I was less than completely irate, but more than annoyed. It would probably be good if I stayed away from everyone today. After using the bathroom, I made the morning trek back to see Lori, but she and the baby weren't in the cell. They were already outside.

When I got down to where the group was, Rick stood up and started talking. "If we're going to really settle in here, I think we need to start thinking about giving people a bit more privacy. There's a row of offices just outside of the cell block. There are gates at either end of the hall. I think that we should start moving the furniture out and setting up our living quarters in there. Most of the offices can sleep two, and there's more than enough of them for everyone. There's even plenty of room for food storage and an infirmary. We could always stock some provisions in the cells, just in case, but I think this will be better for everyone in the long term. I'd like to hear what everyone thinks about this."

I ate my breakfast as everyone debated the pros and cons of moving. It seems as though the biggest con was that there was so much work to be done in the field that everyone wondered if it would be a good use of time. Rick turned to me. "What do you think Stella?"

I knew what he was doing. He was asking my opinion first to cement my position within the group. Rick was no dummy. It was a way to rebuke Daryl without confronting him directly. "Well it wouldn't take more than a few days to get everything moved out, even working at it part time. I think that it would make everyone happier in the long term. Living in the cells isn't really condusive to a happy lifestyle."

My piece said, I stood and started collecting the breakfast dishes. "I'll bring these in, but would you mind washing these?" I asked Beth.

"Sure, no problem."

After dropping the dishes inside I grabbed a backpack and some extra bullets and headed back out. On my way down to the cooking area I stopped at my car and collected my canteen and my bow and quiver of arrows. I rejoined the group and started packing some things for a light lunch. Rick came over to me. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going out hunting today. I need the space Rick. I'm not used to being around so many people. A little fresh air will do me good." I looked up at him, I could see he was about to protest. "Rick, this is not a debate." I finished packing what I needed and swung the bag onto my shoulder. "I'll be back in a bit. Don't worry." Whistling for Gertie I headed off towards the gate.

A hand clamped down on my arm. "You can't go out there alone. It's not safe."

Without turning to look at him, I pulled my arm from his grasp and walked out the gate.

* * *

I had made the right decision. The fresh air and exercise was doing me good. Whenever I thought of Daryl, I still became angry. I mean, this morning, telling me what I couldn't do? Luckily the thoughts came few and far between. The terrain was challenging and the ever present threat of walkers kept my focus on the task at hand.

A few miles from the prison I found a marsh. This was the perfect hunting ground for me. Gertie began bouncing around. She knew what was coming next. I set my things on the ground so I wouldn't be thrown off balance and then I let Gertie go. She bounded into the wetlands and with a great rustle of leaves and wings a flock of terns took flight. I managed to bring down three.

Gertie ran back with the first one in her mouth. I took it from her and looked at it. There was a big puncture hole in it. "Try to be a little more gentle. Not everyone wants to eat something a dog has chewed on." I admonished her before I sent her back in for the other two. While I was waiting for her to come back I kept my eyes on the marsh. Sure enough the terns circled around and landed not too far away. It was going to be a good day.

* * *

When I unloaded my bag, Glenn whistled. "We should send you out more often. Geez."

I smiled, grateful for the compliment. "I was lucky. There's a marsh not far off and this flock of birds was very reluctant to leave it." So reluctant in fact, I managed to get nine of them. The whole trip didn't even take four hours. I even stopped and ate lunch. "I lost an arrow though, I hate that. I guess I'm lucky. Gertie's usually really good at finding them. Probably wouldn't have any left if it wasn't for her."

"Daryl makes his own, you should ask him about it." When I didn't say anything Glenn cleared this throat uncomfortably. "Hey, thanks for saying we should move in to the offices. It'll be nice to have a room without a door that has holes in it."

"For you and me both, believe me. Is everyone in there clearing out the space?"

"Yeah, everyone except Carol and Lori. Seems like once it was decided on, everyone wanted to get it done. I managed to get clean up duty from lunch. Can't say I mind. Getting some of that furniture out is a nightmare."

"How about this, if you dress these birds, I'll go take a quick shower and then go help them." I had mud caked up to my thighs from wadding in the marsh.

Glenn stretched out his arms, palms side up and looked at the sky. "Thank you." He said theatrically. "That's a deal I'll take anytime."

I laughed. Personally I thought I was getting the better end of the stick. I left Gertie basking in the sun. She deserved it after all her hard work.

Just as I entered the cell block I heard a dull thud from my room. I rushed in. Carol was standing there, her hand over her mouth. She turned when she heard me. "Stella, I'm so sorry. I was just going to grab a book, you said I could borrow one any time and it just slipped."

I looked down. A water pitcher was on the floor and the water was all over all my clothes. It must have been a very full pitcher. Even my sneakers were soaked. I sighed, trying not to get irritated. "That's alright, I have a few things in the car that I can wear." They weren't really appropriate for moving furniture, but I wouldn't be moving the heavy stuff anyway.

"I'll hang it all out to dry. I really am sorry."

"Thanks Carol, don't worry too much about it. Accidents happen." I grabbed my shower stuff and went out to the car. I had to look for a few minutes before I found something that would work.

After scrubbing all the dirt off I felt somewhat human again. I looked at the clothes I had to wear and groaned. The sundress was more suitable for a day at the beach than clearing out offices. At least I had found a sweater to go over it. Jack and I had a fight about what I was packing for clothes when we left Maine. I wasn't ready to admit that there wasn't going to be any reason to ever wear a dress again. So in the car the dresses went, along with the strappy sandals that would be adorning my feet any minute. At least they didn't have heels on them. Those ones I left in the car. I had to admit though, looking in the mirror, it felt good to be in a dress again.

It wasn't hard to find the corridor Rick had been talking about this morning. All I had to do was follow the noise. As I rounded the corner I walked into a kind of organized chaos. I walked down the hall to where most of the action seemed to be taking place.

"Hey," Rick said as he came out of the room carrying a chair. "You're back. How'd it go?"

"Good, it'll be tern for dinner and there should be enough leftover to make a soup with."

"Did you say turd?" Axel's shouted out from the room to my left.

"Tern, Axel, tern. It's a type of bird." I shook my head in disbelief.

"Oh, well that'll be okay."

I turned back to Rick who was trying to stifle a laugh. "Glenn's cleaning the birds, so I said I would come down here and help. I know I can't lift the big stuff, but I'm more than happy to do anything else that needs doing."

"No, that's fine. We're getting behind clearing out all the small stuff anyway. Come on, I'll show you what's going on. Nice outfit by the way."

I looked down at my dress and laughed. "Yeah, well there was an accident with my clothes." I followed Rick past a couple of offices that had already been cleared out, past the gate, then through a set of swinging doors. It was an indoor basketball court.

"Figured we could store the stuff in here until we decide what we want to do with it. Hershel's over there going through all the books and papers that we find. Seeing if there is anything useful. Chairs go over here, bookcases by Hershel. Anything else that you don't think is worthwhile can go in that pile right over there. There's some crates here to carry out the little stuff with. Got it?"

"No problem boss. By the way. Thanks for not giving me a hard time this morning. I would have gone regardless, but it was nice not to have to fight about it."

"It already seems like you've been in this group forever Stella. I trust you. If you say that you can do something, I believe you can. Especially after Lori told me how good you are with that bow." Rick smiled and headed back to the hall. Grinning, I picked up a crate and followed.

I hadn't been in one of the offices for more than a minute before Daryl walked in. I shut the desk drawer I had been emptying and walked right out. It went that way all day. Daryl would walk in, I'd walk out. Just looking at him made me mad. All the calm I had gained this morning was chipped away every time I saw his face.

After a while Beth and Maggie left to go start dinner and Hershel went to check on Lori and Carol. After about another hour Rick popped his head in the room I was in. "Hey. We're all calling it a night. Come on."

"I'll be right behind you, I'll just finish clearing off this shelf."

"Alright, catch." Rick tossed me his keys. "Make sure you lock the gates when you leave, alright?"

"Sure, no problem. See you in a few." I turned back to what I was doing.

A minute later I heard the door shut. I froze for a second as I was picking up a picture of a happy looking family of five. I could have kicked myself, I should have known. I waited but he didn't say anything. "Unbelievable," I thought to myself. "He's waiting for me to say something. Well, he's going to be waiting a long time." I threw the picture in the crate and then just swept everything else off the shelf in there after it. Done. I turned and walked towards the door. Daryl stepped in front of me. Still he didn't say anything. I went to step around him. He moved with me. I shoved the crate into his stomach as hard as I could and went to leave. Daryl tossed the crate aside and grabbed my upper arms. That did it.

I twisted out of his grasp. "How dare you lay your hands on me! You have no right to touch me at all! After what you did?" I was seething. "Haven't you gotten the picture yet? I don't want to be near you, I don't want to talk to you, I don't even want to see your face!" I went to shove past him, to get as far away as I could. Again, he reached out and grabbed me.

"You asshole!" I began to beat my fists against his chest. "Let go of me!"

Suddenly he shook me. "Stop!" he yelled.

I don't know if it was shock or what, but I stopped. I looked up at his face for the first time since he closed the door. He looked so miserable. All the anger went out of my body in an instant. For a long moment we just looked at each other. Then he yanked me closer and his lips crashed down on mine.

That nice, soft, lingering kiss I had imagined? Was that only yesterday? This was nothing like that. This was need and anger and desperation. His mouth was greedy as it slanted over mine. His teeth nibbled on my lip. When his mouth moved to my neck I gratefully sucked in air. I had forgotten to breathe. As his lips found their way to my collarbone, his hands swept my sweater off my shoulders. The fists that had been curled up against his chest, suddenly had bunches of his shirt in them. I was holding on for dear life.

His hands buried themselves in my hair and pulled my head back so he'd have better access to my throat. I moaned, lost in the sensations that were running through my body. Just as my knees turned to jello he ran his hands down to my thighs and scooped me up. My arms went around his neck. He walked over and sat me on the desk. All the while his tongue burned a path up my neck. I felt his hands slip up under my dress and my best pair of lace panties gave way as they were torn off.

The groan that escaped his lips as he entered me sent shivers all the way to my toes. As he began to move my arms and legs wrapped around him, urging him on. He grasped my head between his hands and started into my eyes. I could feel his breath in my mouth.

His hand slipped down between our bodies to loop under my leg, pulling it up. I tilted back, giving him what he wanted. I slipped my hands into the waistband of his jeans pressing him closer. The rhythm he set became more desperate. His hand gripped my thigh tightly, his fingers digging into my skin. The other cupped the back of my head, his fingers entangled in my hair. As the first waves of ecstasy rolled through my body I cried out. He buried his face in my neck. "Oh God Stella, hold on baby," he groaned. My nails dug into his back as the pleasure peaked and I felt his body tense under my hands.

For how long we were there like that I couldn't say. My whole body was trembling. Slowly he withdrew from me, his forehead resting on my shoulder. His arms released me and came to rest on my knees. They slowly reached up and pulled my skirt down. He stayed like that for a moment. Then he raised his head and looked into my eyes. There was something there, but before I could figure it out, he turned and walked away. It was another typical Daryl Dixon exit.

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**So? Hot or not? Definitely need feedback on this one. **


	16. Chapter 16

**So, the first section of this chapter is going to briefly go over what happened since yesterday. How Daryl felt about it all. I tried to do it so it's not redundant. I think that most of you will be surprised at the difference between Daryl's feelings and Stella's perception of things. **

* * *

Daryl's POV

He was scum. Worse, he was worse than that. What was wrong with him? First yesterday and then today? He groaned just thinking about it. He looked over at the group getting ready for dinner. She still wasn't there. What if she wasn't alright? He had been so rough with her. He was just about to climb down from the guard tower to go look for her, when she walked out through the door. He looked down at her with misery. She was never going to talk to him again.

Yesterday had been bad enough. He had just lost it. All morning he had been thinking about the night before. He couldn't help but wonder why she would be spending time with him. She was so beautiful and educated. She knew stories about Greek gods, and all he could come up with was the The Three Little Pigs. She was too good for him. He knew it. Even in this world, she was way, way out of his league.

So, _when_ she said, _what _she said, about wasting the IVs, he just flipped out. Looking back he knew that she didn't mean it like that. She had meant that if she didn't have to use it, she didn't want to. It had just come out wrong. But it was Carol. Carol was like him. She was also the first person in the group to make Daryl really feel as though he mattered. That he was a decent man. He couldn't let something happen to her, she was his best friend here. The whole way back to the cell block he was afraid she was going to die. He had been so afraid. Still, that's no excuse for what he did to Stella. He knew he had blown it the moment that he had stormed out of the prison. He had wanted to go back in, tell her he was sorry, but apologies weren't something Daryl had a lot of experience with. Either giving them or getting them.

By the time she came to tell him Carol was awake he was berating himself for what he had done. She had looked at him like she didn't know who he was, and he couldn't find the words to apologize. And then, when she came out of Lori's room with tears in her eyes, a piece of him died. After they moved Carol into a room Hershel really laid into him. He agreed with everything Hershel said to him. He had been out of line, he had hurt her, and what's even worse, he scared her. He just didn't know how to say sorry.

When he saw her in Carol's room he had known something had changed. He had been glad she had yelled at him. He deserved it. She was so angry at him, and then had stormed out, walked away from him. It hurt to see her walking away. All night long he had looked for an opening, a way to say he was sorry. When she went to bed early, he followed not long after, and her door had been shut. Then later... waiting for her to come in, it had seemed like eternity. He had been so scared she was going to walk out of the gates. And then today, she did.

He had been planning to go hunting today as well. But once she left, he couldn't. He needed to be here when she got back. There were so many things that could happen to her out there, he couldn't think about it though. So he threw himself into cleaning out the offices. If she wanted a room with a door, she'd have one. And then he heard her voice, talking to Rick. He had heard her laugh. He looked up and saw her walk by, her skirt swirling around her legs.

He had gone in the first time to talk to her. But she walked right out. She wouldn't even look at him. And he had been embarrassed. He didn't want her to yell at him in front of everyone. When Rick called an end to the day, and she was staying behind, he saw his chance.

He had made some lame excuse to Rick about leaving something behind. Rick wasn't fooled for a minute. "Good luck," He had said as he glanced back at the room Stella was in. "I think you're going to need an awful lot of it." Daryl had waited until they had all disappeared around the corner before going into the room and shutting the door.

He had gone in there just meaning to say he was sorry, to say he was wrong for saying those things to her, for scaring her. But when he got in there every thought left his head. She had looked so angelic standing there. The light was shining through the window and he could see the shape of her legs under her dress. He had just needed a moment to collect his thoughts. But she went to storm past him and he couldn't let her leave. Not till he said what he needed to. When she exploded he had just wanted her to listen. He did something awful. He grabbed her and shook her. When she looked up at him, with her eyes wide, he couldn't help it. He just dove in.

Kissing her had been like riding on a rollercoaster. The fear and excitement had twisted his stomach into a knot. He could have pulled it back. That is, until she went from pushing him away to holding on to him. All of the self-control he had left crumbled.

Daryl buried his head in his hands. God, he had even ripped off her panties. And when she cried out. He thought that maybe he had hurt her, but still, he couldn't stop. When it was over, when he could move again, he realized what he had done. He had gone in there to say he was sorry, and he had made it worse. He couldn't face her.

"Some lookout you are." The shock of hearing her voice snapped him back to the present. His eyes met hers. "I just came to tell you dinner's all ready. You should come get it while it's hot." She moved to leave.

"Wait!" He bounded up from the chair. "I just wanted to say I was sorry. That was a mistake, it never should have happened. I should never have touched you like that. I had no right. I promise, it won't ever happen again." The words just tumbled out of his mouth. And instantly he knew he had said the wrong thing.

"Glad to know you regret it." She started back down the stairs.

He lunged out from behind the desk and started after her. "No! No, no! That wasn't what I meant." He caught up with her a few steps down. "It's just that you know, I'm a redneck Georgia boy, and well, you're you. It's just that I shouldn't have done that. I should've kept my distance." As he talked Daryl got the feeling that he wasn't getting out of the hole he was in.

Stella pursed her lips and nodded her head real slow. "I get what you're saying, that I am unable of making decisions for myself. You're saying I'm too stupid to know what I want." As Daryl opened up his mouth to protest she ran right over him. "That must be the case because I don't remember ever asking you to stop, and if I didn't do that then I must be to dimwitted to know who I do or don't want to have sex with. Did I get the gist of what you were saying?"

"No, I didn't mean it like that! Shit! This is all coming out wrong. This is all my fault."

"Well maybe that's because this has all been about you. This conversation has been all about you. You never even bothered to ask me what I wanted. My feelings don't matter at all, is that right? Oh, but I forgot, it was obvious my feelings didn't matter the moment you left without saying a word!" She ducked past him.

He caught her on the next landing. "Woman, stop twisting my words around! I'm just.. I'm trying to say I'm sorry is all."

"Okay, first of all, my name is Stella. Stop calling me 'woman' all the time. Do you realize that the only time you've ever called me by my name was in that office? The _only_ time. Secondly, what exactly are you sorry for? And please, let me help you out here. Think before you speak." She crossed her arms, and raised her eyebrows. "Well?"

Daryl vaguely recalled that at some point he had thought that it would fun to push Stella's buttons. Boy had he been wrong. He took a breath. "I'm sorry I said all those things to you yesterday, and that I scared you. I didn't mean anything that I said. But Stella, most of all I"m so sorry if I hurt you earlier, if you thought your feelings didn't matter." He took a step towards her and tucked her hair behind her ear. "They matter, more than I can say. But I shouldn't have guessed what they were, I should have asked. All I want is to be with you."

Stella looked down at the ground, she was utterly still.

"She's so quiet, why won't she say something?" the thought screamed in his head. And then she leaned up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips softly to his. She shifted slightly and her tongue teased his bottom lip. He wrapped his arms around her and deepened the kiss. She sighed against his lips. He could feel the tension in her body seeping out little by little.

He felt like he was drowning in her. Her pushed her back up against the wall and pressed his body into hers. Dropping his head down to her neck, he explored, tasting, savoring this time. Stella's fingers gripped his hair as he nibbled on a particularly sensitive spot just behind her earlobe. She pulled his face back to hers, and kissed him with unrestrained passion. She tugged his shirt over his head. He hissed as her nails raked down his abdomen. Her mouth brushed over his chest, her tongue flicking across his collarbone. His hands dug into her sides and he twisted her around. As she leaned against the wall he ran his hands up the front of her body. They molded to her breasts. She moaned and her head fell back against his shoulder. He ran one hand down and slipped it under her skirt and into her undies.

She was so wet, and it was for him. The thought made him groan. He slipped two fingers inside her. She twisted her head so she could have access to his lips. When he found the magic nubbin, she jerked in his hand and her breath caught. He began to tease and rub it. She tried to turn to face him, but he held her tight where she was. Her hand moved down to cover his, to press it closer. When the explosions had finished rolling through her, he pushed her underwear off. He freed himself from his jeans and turned her back around. He lifted her up against the wall and lowered her onto himself. Her legs wrapped around his waist tightly. He had to wait for a moment after he entered her. She was so tight, felt so good, and he already felt as though he was going to explode. She ran her fingers through his hair and kissed him lightly. He began to move slowly. Soon he had a smooth rhythm. He could feel the orgasm building inside him. When Stella arched her back and he felt her start to come, he let go and joined her.

This time, when it was over, he kissed her gently as he lowered her to the floor. "Are you alright?"

She laughed, "I'm slightly better than alright. If only I could get my legs to work." He kissed her lightly on the tip of her nose.

"Want me to carry you?" He asked, his voice was serious but his eyes crinkled with humor.

She nudged him back and started straightening her clothing. "The group would think that you threw me down the stairs. I swear, I think everyone about died when Glenn asked me to come get you. He's fairly oblivious, isn't he?"

Daryl decided that Glenn was going to get some sort of a special gift. "I don't care what they think, I only care what you think." He retrieved his shirt from the floor. "Stella? What do you think?" He held his breath as he waited for her to answer.

Her hands paused as she was pulling her sweater back on. "I think that you're a fool Daryl Dixon. I think that I am too. I also think that I owe you an apology as well, and you're a good man for not calling me on it."

He pushed her hair back. "What are you talking about? Why would you owe me an apology?"

"Daryl, I was so angry at you about what you did that I couldn't see anything else. I took offense to everything you said or did. I could have made the situation better, but I didn't. I was so wrapped up in what I was thinking, I made assumptions too. I assumed I knew what you were feeling and thinking. I didn't bother to ask either. I'm sorry." She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in. After a minute he pulled himself away with a groan.

He looked down into her eyes and couldn't believe how much things had changed in the last two days. To be here with her, like this, was beyond anything he had ever hoped for. He reached down and took her hand. "Come on, dinner's going to be cold by the time we get back."

When they got to the door at the base of the tower, Daryl released her hand in order to pull the door open. Stella walked through and turned to wait for him. As soon as he was next to her again, he claimed her hand once more. She had given him another chance, and he was going to learn from the mistakes he had made.

Lori and Carol were both feeling good and were able to join the group for dinner. It became a festive affair. Conversations swirled around Daryl. He didn't join in. He was content to sit and watch as Stella rocked Judith to sleep.

"That is a pretty pair of girls there." Hershel sat with a grunt. "Was starting to wonder which one of you was going to come out of that tower alive. Could hear you two yelling at each other all the way over here. No offense but I had my money on Stella."

Daryl laughed. "I would have put my money on her too."

"Was glad to see the two of you figured it out. Word of advice?" Daryl turned to look at him. "Stella's a tough lady. She's had to be. Doesn't mean that she wants to be. Find some ways to give her some romance. In this world, give her beauty anywhere you can." Hershel fell silent, letting Daryl think about what he said.

Romance? Him? Daryl felt panicked at the thought. He didn't have a romantic bone in his body. But didn't she deserve it? Didn't she deserve everything that he could give her? He had been with other women, but had never had any real intimacy. Not until Stella. The most charming thing he had ever done for a woman was pay for her drink. The other night under the stars was the most romantic night he ever had. But that hadn't been him, it had been her. Still... that didn't mean he couldn't do it. 'Course a lot of the usual clichés were out. He couldn't take her out for a fancy diner, or have roses delivered. He grew even more quiet than usual as he continued to think about what Hershel had said.

Suddenly he knew what he should do to show her how much he wanted to be with her. He silently slipped away from the party. He was gone about forty minutes getting everything together. When he returned he was nervous. What if she didn't like it? He thought about going in and undoing everything he had just done. No. He'd let her decide.

He stopped by just to let Rick know what was up, Daryl didn't want anyone looking for them. He walked over to where Stella was holding a now sleeping Judith. "Think you can tear yourself away from her for a little bit?" he asked her. Her smile reassured him. He was doing the right thing.

"Sure," she said passing the baby over to Lori. "Where have you been? I looked over and you were gone."

Daryl pulled her to her feet and smiled. "Come on, I have something to show you." He led her back into the prison. Stella started to move towards the cell block, but he pulled her in another direction. "This way." He continued until he reached the hallway they had been working in today. Unlocking the gate, he held it open for her.

"What is this?" Stella asked confused. "Why did you bring me down here?" She stepped through the doorway.

Shaking his head he relocked the door. "You'll see. Come on." The excitement was building in him. He hurried down the hall until he was in front of a closed door. Tilting her face up, he kissed her gently before he swung it open.

Stella gasped. Daryl had taken one of the cleaned out offices and made it into a room for them. There were two mattresses side by side on the floor. He had made up the bed and turned down the top covers.. Daryl had moved one of the bookcases back in and placed her personal items on the shelves. Their clothes were folded side by side on the shelves on the wall. He had even made a bed for Gertie, who climbed right into it. Candles were lit randomly throughout the room. He watched as Stella looked around the room. She walked over and ran her fingers over the top of the bookcase, until they reached her hairbrush. Turning to him, she said, "You did all this? Why?"

Daryl nodded. He was glad for the dim lighting. He could feel his cheeks burning. He shifted restlessly. "The other night, sleeping with you, holding you in my arms. That was the best night I ever had. I don't want to wait for everyone else to be ready to move in. I want to be with you now." He swallowed hard, waiting for her response.

"I love that you did this, I think it's beautiful." She walked over to stand in front of him.

Being careful not to touch her skin, he slowly slipped her sweater off her shoulders, then reached behind her to pull the zipper of her dress down. He pushed the straps off her shoulders and the dress pooled at her feet. He knelt before her as she stepped out of it. He gently tugged her shoes from her feet. As he stood he hooked his thumbs into her panties and pushed them down her legs. She stood naked in front of him. He had admired her body before, but she was even more beautiful than he thought. Her breasts were full and high, with a small waist and a gentle swell to her hips. Daryl quickly shed his own clothes. He wanted to reach out and crush her to him, but he held back. He wanted to take his time with her tonight. He wanted it to be everything the first time wasn't. He entwined his fingers with hers and led her to the bed.

* * *

**I hope Daryl redeemed himself in this chapter. I knew I was setting him up as a bad guy, and felt badly doing it. But things aren't always what they seem. Now that you've read this, you might want to go back and look at it through Daryl's eyes, it's easy to see how things can be misinterpreted.**

**As always I welcome your reviews.**

**For all of you following the story but haven't added it to your favorites yet, (I know there's a lot of you, the computer tells me so!), it's really easy. Just check the box at the bottom and hit submit. See you all soon!**


	17. Chapter 17

**So I missed a day posting, I don't think I've skipped a day before. But it was for a good cause. I'm buying a house and had the home inspection yesterday. Unbelievably, there was only minor things wrong. Yeah! So I apologize for not being able to get this out, but a girl has to have some celebratory drinks after news like that.**

* * *

We were late coming out for breakfast. It wasn't that we had woken up late, we just hadn't been able to leave the room. It wasn't until we heard movement outside in the hall that we had forced ourselves out from under the covers.

I didn't remember the last time I felt so happy and relaxed. Daryl had really surprised me last night. When he had opened the door I couldn't believe my eyes. The fact that he had paid such attention to detail was surprising. He had laid out my things just as I had them in my cell. It was, by far, the sweetest thing that anyone had ever done for me.

We had talked well into the night. We had talked about the places where we had grown up, our families. "After my mom died in a fire, Dad moved us out of the town. He was a drunk and would disappear for days at a time. My brother Merle, he was in and out of juvie constantly. So I was on my own a lot. My dad would forget to buy food, so I learned how to hunt. I figured out how to get by."

"Didn't you have any other family?" I was appalled at what he described so matter-of-factly.

"Na, my mom's parents died a while back and my father didn't speak with his."

His upbringing had been so different from mine. I couldn't image ever being so alone as a child. If a child fell down and skinned their knee there were so many hands to pick them up and cuddle them. I had a large family. Four older sisters, twelve nieces and nephews, twenty aunts and uncles, and so many cousins I couldn't count. We had family parties at least four times a year, and we averaged at least eighty people per party. I spoke with my mother and sisters daily, my aunts on a weekly basis, and shared season tickets to the Red Sox with some of my cousins.

We had talked about happier things too, and we had laughed. He had teased me about my painted toenails. "I can not believe that with everything going on, you would be taking the time to paint your toenails."

"Don't you like the color?" I had asked as I pulled up the sheet so he could see and wiggled my toes.

"Maybe, I'd have to get a closer look to be sure." Daryl dived under the covers, nibbling his way down. I had screeched as his whiskers tickled by abdomen. That too had been a surprise. To find he was so easy to laugh with in bed. I was glad we were so alone. The fact that no one was around let us be as loud as we wanted.

As we reached the eating area, there were only a few stragglers left. Everyone else had already started on their day. Daryl wolfed down some food in record time so he could hurry in and help finish up moving everything out. I sat down with Lori, Maggie and Beth.

"Where's Carol?" I asked as I began to eat. The other three exchanged a look between them. "What?" I asked.

It was Lori who spoke up. "She's laying down. She said she wasn't feeling well."

"Did Hershel look at her before he left?"

Lori looked uncomfortable. "No, and I don't think you should either. Stella, Carol's just having a hard time with you and Daryl. She's wanted something more with Daryl for a while. Daryl really hadn't shown any interest, but..." she shrugged. "It's just hard for her. I think she knew that Daryl was attracted to you, but she probably thought that it would pass. It wasn't until the two of you came to dinner last night that she realized that it was something more."

I chewed my food slowly and thought about what it was that she had said. I could understand Carol's feelings, and things with Daryl had happened rather quickly. Carol hadn't had any time to get used to the idea. She hadn't even been around for three of those days. Still, if she really was sick.. I came up with a compromise. "Beth, would you mind just checking on her later and seeing how she's doing? I can't totally leave her alone, but I get that she might not want to see my face right now."

Beth gave me a gentle smile, "No problem. I'll give her a few hours and if she still isn't up, then I'll go check."

Lori leaned forward, "Since it's just us girls right now, how was it? I have to admit, Daryl is kind of hot in this rugged, no nonsense type of way. And have you seen his body? Of course you've seen his body. Come on, I'm dying! Give me details."

I looked at Lori, my mouth hanging open. "Lori! You are a married woman! Thinking like that, really." I could feel that my cheeks had turned bright red. I couldn't help the smiling though as I thought about last night. And this morning. The other three women started laughing. "Stop that! You are all awful!" I laughed and shook my head in disbelief.

"Well, where did you two head off to last night? I know you didn't come back to the cell block," asked Maggie.

I thought about whether or not to tell them, but then I realized that everyone was going to know by lunch since all the guys were down there right now. I'd keep the more intimate details to myself though. "Well, Daryl wanted to do something nice for me after everything. He surprised me by moving all of our things into one of the offices. He set it all up. It was really amazing."

Maggie looked jealous. "I bet the privacy was nice too. I wish Glenn had thought to do that. I can not wait until we move into the offices. Do you guys think they'll be done my this afternoon? God I hope so."

"I will say that I was very happy to have no one around. I have a feeling we would have kept everyone up all night."

"Really?" Lori leaned forward. "All night?"

"Jeez Lori, haven't you just turned into a horn dog. We spent most of the night talking and laughing. He's just so funny."

Lori looked somewhat chastened as the other two laughed. "It's not my fault, it's all the hormones. That and the fact I haven't had sex in seven months. When do you think I can see about getting back to that anyway?"

"How about we begin to visit that subject when you can stand up straight because you're not afraid to pop your sutures?" Lori stuck her tongue out at me. "You seem awfully eager to get back in the saddle. I take it things with Rick are going well?" Rick had started sleeping on the top bunk in Lori's room. Judith chose that moment to start to cry so Lori bent over and lifted her from the basket at her feet.

Lori smiled a huge smile. "You were right, babies change everything. Rick and I had a long conversation one night. I think we had both forgiven each other for everything a long time ago, but neither one of us want to say we were sorry first. I'll admit, Maggie's not the only one that's eager to move into the offices."

I knew that feeling of not wanting to apologize first. Pride was a dangerous thing when it came to a relationship. I was so glad for Lori. That she and Rick had worked it out. I knew she had wanted to reconcile with Rick badly. The day that Judith was born, Lori asked me to speak with Rick in case she died. She told me how horrible she felt about everything, how she knew Rick would blame himself about everything if she died. I wondered if Lori hadn't almost died if they still would have reconciled. I supposed it didn't matter. It happened and they did. Sometimes things do work out for the best.

"Stella, what are you planning on doing today?" Maggie asked, interrupting my thoughts. I didn't have any specific plans and told her that. "Do you think we could go on a supply run today? I have a list of things that we need. Glenn and I didn't have very much luck the other day."

I jumped on the chance to get out of the prison. I was tired of looking at the same walls and fences. Yesterday's outing had only reinforced that. "I'd love to. Do you mind if we take the Range Rover? There's some things I'd like to charge off the battery." When Maggie said she didn't care, we agreed to meet back there in ten minutes. I rushed in to grab some things. When I got to the hallway, there was a problem. A desk had gotten stuck as they moved it out of one of the offices into the hallway.

Everyone was using very colorful language and shouting out various suggestions to Axel and Oscar who were trying to move it. The hallway was completely blocked. I cleared my throat. "Excuse me gentlemen, mind if I get through?" I had to bite back a laugh. They all looked ashamed to be caught using language more appropriate to a truck stop. "Don't worry about it guys. There isn't anything you can say, that I haven't heard. I've probably repeated it myself a time or two." Oscar helped me climb over the desk. "Where's Daryl?"

"Went down to the shop, see if he could find a saw or sledgehammer to break this thing up. It's been stuck in here since right after you two headed out. Don't think we're going to be able to get it unstuck." Oscar answered.

"Well, when he gets back, will you just tell him that I headed out with Maggie?" I turned to face Glenn. "Did you hear that?"

"Yeah, Maggie said she was going to ask you to go. She's got the list, right?"

I nodded and ran into my room to grab what I needed. After I climbed back over the desk I turned and looked at the men in the hallway. "Get a screwdriver, take off the legs."

As I left I heard Axel say, "Why the hell didn't we think about that?"

* * *

Maggie and I sang along to the iPod as we drove. I pointed out to Maggie the road Daryl found me on as we passed. "Sometimes things work out so differently than you think. Something awful happens and it leads you to something good." I said almost to myself, my thoughts earlier about Lori and Rick still fresh in my head.

"I know, if Otis hadn't shot Carl, then we never would have meet up with everyone. Without the rest of the group, we all probably would have died on that farm when the herd came through. I never would have met Glenn." A smile crept across her face. "Daddy was so mad when he realized what was going on between us. I thought his head was going to explode." Maggie laughed. "It didn't take him long to realize Glenn was a good man, that he really cared for me. After that Daddy gave us his blessing." She looked over at me. "Hey, what do you think your parents would think of Daryl?"

"Oh, boy, I guess it would depend on if it we were talking about before or after. If I had met him on vacation and brought him home...," I made a grimace. "I think they would have no idea what to make of him. He's not like anyone I've ever known before. He's so abrupt about everything and he can be so rude. Before all this, if we were back in Boston, Daryl would never have been happy there. I think our worlds would have been too different. But here, in this world, I think my parents would actually really like him, my mom especially. She always liked the strong silent type." I laughed.

"Did they like your husband?"

"Jack? Not at first. We met my first week at college. He was a few years older. I guess my parents thought that I was too young." I laughed, "I was young. I wasn't even eighteen when we met. You know how it is at that age. We'd fight and break up, then make up. Everything was the end of the world, it was all so dramatic. But we grew up, and soon Jack was like a son to them. Although, until we got married my parents still insisted on separate bedrooms whenever we went on a family trip, even after we were living together."

Maggie started to laugh. "My parents would have been the same way, believe me."

Just then I saw a blue hospital sign. I turned off the road. "Where are you going?" Maggie questioned.

"Looks like there's a hospital up here. I just want to check it out." We followed the signs. Walkers started to appear. We managed to get close enough to see. It wasn't completely overrun, but it would be suicide for just Maggie and I to try to go in. Even with the rest of the group it would be dangerous. We turned around quickly and headed back towards the main road.

* * *

"Nothing," Maggie looked around disgustingly. The pharmacy had been completely cleared out. "There's nothing here at all."

I looked down at the list in my hand. It was all basic stuff. I used to keep my bath closet packed full of everything on this list.

"Maybe we've got to start looking different places. Some of this stuff, like the candles and soap, we can make. There's a craft store a few buildings down. They'll have everything we need for that. The rest of it, we're going to have to go house to house."

"House to house is dangerous. Walkers get trapped inside, they're around corners. We wouldn't be able to use our guns. Otherwise we'd draw too many of them."

I looked at her. "Do we have a choice? We need this stuff. Why don't we start at the crafts store and then head on over to the subdivisions. We can see what it looks like before we make a decision." Maggie nodded.

We had made out at the crafts store. We got everything we needed for the soap and candles. We emptied out the shelves. We had even done a little shopping for other items that might be useful. Thread, needles, yarn, all went into the carriages. Maggie stopped by the fabrics and was running a beautiful batik through her fingers.

"If you like it, why don't you get it?" I asked her.

"It'd be a waste. What would I use it for?" Maggie looked wistfully at the fabric.

"That new room of yours is going to have windows in it. I bet some curtains would look nice. We are planning on settling in there. I think it would be nice if people could decorate their rooms a little. You know, we should really bring back some of the calico too. When the weather gets colder, I bet quilts would be appreciated. It would take a while to make them, but we got time before winter's back."

Maggie grinned and started loading up another carriage with various fabrics. Half hour later we headed back out and loaded up everything in the car. Maggie took out three walkers as I tossed things in the back. When we climbed back into the car I turned to her. "To the houses?" Maggie nodded.

* * *

When we arrived at the prison, Beth was at the gates to let us back in. As soon as the gate was locked back up, she ran over to the car to help us unload. "What on earth did you bring back?" she asked as we lifted up the tailgate. The car was packed full of things, even the top was covered with bags of fertilizer.

"Well, what do you expect when you send two women out to go shopping?" Maggie asked laughing. "We managed to get almost everything on the list, and then we decided to head to the co-op to find seeds and other things that we'll need for planting the crops." She started pulling out various tools. "Figured we could get a growing box going now, and work on getting the field tilled while the seedlings get started. That way we won't be so far behind."

The two sisters kept talking as we unloaded. "Why don't we put all the fabric in the cell block. That way it'll stay clean and be out of our way." Beth suggested.

"I got it," I said as I grabbed a couple of bolts and headed in. I had a gift for someone. I placed all but one of the bolts on a table and walked over to where Carol had been sleeping. I knocked on the side of the cell door. Carol looked up.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Carol shrugged. "I brought you something. Maggie and I went out today and stopped at a crafts store. They had a pretty decent fabric section. Anyways, I thought you might like this." I stood the bolt up and leaned it against the wall. It was a Challis fabric with a soft, earthy green color and a light floral design. "I remembered you saying that you saying that you liked this color of green. Anyways, I thought you could use it to decorate your new room." I turned to leave.

"Stella wait," I turned back to look at Carol. She had gotten out of the bunk and was looking at the fabric. "That's real nice of you. I love it. Thanks."

I smiled over at her. "If you feel up to it, we're unloading the car. Maybe you could help us figure out where we should store everything. You're the best organizer here."

Carol nodded. "Why don't you show me what you guys got." Together we headed outside.

We divided up all the personal hygiene products between everyone. "Rick's going to be bummed you two didn't find any shaving cream, or deodorant. Oh well, he'll just be stinky with razor burn."

"What was it with the men around here? Didn't they believe in personal grooming?" Carol said looking at everything spread out. We had found plenty of women's deodorant, no men's.

"Well, if he gets desperate, he can always share yours Lori." I teased her.

"I don't care if it's men's or women's, I'm making Glenn use some. Sometimes when he goes to put his arm around me, Pww!" Maggie waved her had in front of her face dramatically.

"Well we did find a year's worth of Irish Spring soap. Maybe that'll help."

"Yeah, whoever had that house had a real OCD thing going. All that cleaning stuff was from that one house." Maggie gestured to a pile of gallon sized cleaning solvents.

"I'm glad you to grabbed the stuff at the crafts store to make our own soap though. I have no desire to smell like a man." Carol said. "Did you know Axel asked me if I was a lesbian? Just cause my hair is short."

Maggie burst out laughing. "I wouldn't take it personally. I don't think Axel has had too much luck with the ladies."

I gathered up Daryl's and my share of things. "I'm going to go put this stuff away and check on what the men are doing. I would have thought that they'd be done moving everything out by now."

Lori started to chuckle. "Well apparently whatever Daryl did last night has gotten them all thinking. They decided they were going to scrub down the rooms for us. Can't say I mind." Neither did I. Most of the offices were a mess. There were only a few like the one Daryl had picked out for us that had still been locked, and therefore walker free.

The guys were all packing up all the cleaning supplies when I arrived at the offices. "I think I'd rather go back to moving furniture than have to clean another inch," Axel complained when I asked him how it all went.

"Well don't go take a shower yet. We got a million bags of fertilizer that needs to be taken down off the top of the car. Can't say it smells too good."

Axel swore, "Shit, I'd almost rather go back to being in the kitchen. Don't you people ever rest?" I just looked at him and raised my shoulders.

I moved down the hall towards my room when Daryl stepped out in front of me. "Hey," I said, my voice soft. "I missed you today. Heard you boys were all working hard down here." Daryl reached over and grabbed my arm. He led me into our room. He shut the door. I could tell he was upset with something. He was too still, his movements too deliberate. "What happened?" I asked.

Daryl stood there, completely still. I placed everything on the foot of the bed as I waited for him to answer. Finally he started to speak. "What do you think you're doing going out all by yourself?"

I looked at him for a moment before I answered. "I wasn't by myself. I was with Maggie. She asked me to go and I decided to go."

"You know what I mean," he growled.

"You mean, why did I go without you, right?"

"Or Rick, or Glenn. Jeez, even Oscar or Axel would have been better than nothing."

I could feel myself getting irritated at his words, but I didn't want to start a fight. Not now, not when the dust had just settled from the last two days. Besides, I understood why he was concerned, I just thought it was stupid. "Daryl," I said firmly, "Maggie's a good fighter, and I'm not half bad myself. We didn't need one of you men to come with us. We watched each other's backs, and we're fine. We're here." I watched as he began to pace back and forth. "Daryl, everything in this world is a risk. Going to the bathroom by yourself is a risk." My voice became more gentle. "You can't protect me all the time." I moved forward and stopped his pacing. I snaked my arms up around his neck. "I appreciate that you want to make sure I'm alright, but you're going to have to trust me to take care of myself and make some decisions on my own. Okay?" I felt him begin to soften.

He looked down at me for a long moment, his eyes fixed on mine. Suddenly he let out a heavy sigh and kissed me lightly. "You two were just gone a long time, I was worried. I thought you'd be back hours ago." He kissed me again, a little bit harder.

"Well we managed to get a lot of things, but we did have to go house to house for some of it."

"House to..." he barely choked out. His body instantly tense again.

"Hey, trust, remember?" I held on tight, he wasn't stalking off this time. "We were really careful. We didn't just march in there blind." I grabbed his jaw to make him look at me. "You'd never seen two women more heavily armed. Daryl, please."

He shook his head slowly, looking down at the knife he had given me. "You're going to drive me crazy, you know that? What am I going to do with you woman?"

A slow smile creeped across my lips, I didn't mind when he called me 'woman' with that look in his eyes. "Can't you think of a few things?" Daryl lazily reached up and unpinned my hair, letting it tumble down my back. It was a while before we joined the others.

* * *

When we got back to the cell blocks everyone was almost done packing up to move. "Why don't you see if Carol needs help," I said to Daryl. "She'd probably like to have some time with you. I think she might be feeling a little alone."

Daryl looked over to where Carol stood at the far end of the hall. She was trying to shove her pillow into a backpack. It looked like a losing battle. He gave me a quick smile and headed down to see her. Although I wanted to smooth things out with Carol, in some ways I hated seeing Daryl go to her, since I knew she had some feelings for him. But she was his best friend at the prison. It wouldn't do anyone any good to try to keep them apart. In a group this small any friction between people can become a big problem. Pushing the jealousy aside, I walked over to Hershel. "What can I take for you?"

"Well I got all my stuff here," he indicated his backpack. "Why don't you start packing up the medical supplies. We're going to put use the big conference room at the end as the infirmary. You can start moving everything in there."

When I carried the first box to the new infirmary, I was impressed. Hershel must have directed the guys on how to set it up. He had left the long table in the room, to use as a patient table, but had moved it closer to the windows for better light. There were bookcases lined up, ready for various supplies. He even had one of the small desks brought in, and there was a comfortable chair in the corner of the room. I started humming as I unpacked. It felt good to put things in order, and not just have them on a table. Hershel joined me after he dropped his things off in his room. Oscar brought the last of the boxes down and put them on the table. "Looks good in here."

I looked over at all the shelves. Even with the items that were in the boxes, they were going to be woefully empty. We had used up so much stuff on Lori and the baby. Even now she was still on antibiotics, though we had switched her over to orals. I smiled at Oscar but I knew it didn't reach my eyes. Having everything spread out like this was eye-opening. "Hershel," I started. "There's a county hospital not far from here." I hated saying it, the memory of how many walkers were outside forefront in my head.

He sighed. "I know. Let's make a list of things that we're going to need over the next couple of days. I want to make sure it's complete before we send anyone there." I nodded and hoped a catastrophe didn't strike in the mean time.

Hershel and I were the last outside for dinner. As soon as we got there Beth gave us each a bowl of soup. Hershel tasted it. "Hard to believe that you couldn't even make a grilled cheese a year ago, and now you can cook like this. With wild seasonings and over a campfire even." He smiled lovingly at his youngest daughter.

Everyone was starving, and except for an occasional comment here or there, dinner was eaten mostly in silence. Typically after dinner everyone sat around the fire together, discussing their day, or any concerns they had. But not tonight. As soon as everyone had eaten, the group broke up in various smaller groups. Hershel began going through the seeds and tools that we brought back. He started laying out a plan for a garden. The other men pulled the fertilizer down then headed in to see what they could find to make some seedling boxes. Personally I thought they were just anxious to use tools.

Carol, Beth and Maggie started cutting up fabric to sew into curtains. Some of the doors had windows on them, so that was going to be the first priority.

"Come on," Lori said to me. "I can't sew in a straight line. Why don't you and I can get started on that soap." As neither Lori or I had ever made soap before, (why would we?), we had some trouble getting started. Luckily Maggie had thought to grab a how-to book. After a couple of false starts, we got the hang of it. It was fun deciding what scent to use, what mold to put it in. I hadn't done anything like that in a long time. After we poured our second batch into the molds, we decided to call it a night as it was beginning to get to dark to see well.

I turned and surveyed the group. The others were wrapping up for the night as well. There was something different about tonight though, something I couldn't quite put my finger on. It bothered me that I couldn't figure out what it was, but I wasn't making me nervous. I put it out of my mind.

We did sit down around the fire for a while after everyone was finished. But people were tired from the non-stop day and began to head in early. Daryl and I quickly followed suit. Later, as I laid in Daryl's arms I realized what was different. Today was the first day that everyone had been involved in projects strictly for the future. We had begun building our future here. This was becoming home.


	18. Chapter 18

The next morning Daryl tried to sneak out of bed early. "Where are you going?" I asked. Years of working in the ER had made me a very light sleeper. Daryl looked down at me guiltily. He was definitely up to something. I sat up. "What are you doing?" I looked at him sternly. He shifted back and forth. He looked so adorable standing there, all naked and sheepish, I was having a hard time keeping my expression solemn. "Well?"

He cleared his throat. "Nothing, I was just um... Well I was going to leave a note," he said defensively. I remained quiet and just waited for the rest. "I'm going hunting," he blurted.

"Oh, is that all?" I climbed out from under the covers. Daryl's eyes ran down my body. For a thirty-one year old woman, I knew I still looked good. And I was not above using it to my advantage. I walked across the mattress and pressing myself against him I kissed him lightly on the lips. "Why would you feel the need to sneak out?"

"What?" Daryl murmured. "Oh, I figured after yesterday when I gave you a hard time about going out with Maggie.." Daryl kissed me again, and again.

"Well, I'm not going to give you a hard time about hunting by yourself. We did agree to trust each other's decisions, right?" Daryl nodded in between kisses. "I mean why would I get mad at you for that? After all, I was planning on doing the same."

Daryl pulled his head away from me. "What?" Disbelief in his eyes.

"Well, there's twelve of us. That's a lot of mouths to feed. I figured I'd take Gertie and go back to the marsh." I kissed him again. "I'm glad that we decided that we'd let each other make our own decisions." I hopped off the mattress and began to put on some clothes. Daryl was still staring at me. He looked as though he'd been poleaxed. "I am _delighted_ that we agreed about that. It makes life so much easier." My voice was honey. When the last article of clothing was on, I started grabbing my weapons and backpack. "Do you want me to make you some breakfast before I leave?" Daryl still hadn't moved. "No? Well then, I'll see you later. Come on Gert." I started down the hall.

I was almost to the end of the corridor when I heard him. "Wait!" Daryl came rushing out trying to pull on a pair of jeans at the same time. "You know, why don't we go together?" He managed to get his second leg in and yank them up over his hips. I was a little disappointed he had succeeded so quickly.

"Oh, are you sure?" I asked sweetly. "I know how much you like your alone time."

"No, it's fine. We should probably see how we hunt as a team anyway." Daryl said hurriedly.

"Well, only if you're sure." Daryl nodded. "Well then. Why don't you finish getting dressed and I'll see you outside. I'll pack us some lunch."

By the time Daryl came outside, I knew he had figured out that he had walked right into a trap. He didn't seem upset though. Instead, he looked at me appreciatively. I smiled over at him, delighted with the way the day had started. "Why don't you write that note so everyone knows where we are."

Daryl cleared his throat uncomfortably. "I told Rick last night that I was going hunting this morning."

"Really? Last night? Huh, imagine that. Well they still might wonder where I am you know."

Daryl was saved from responding by Beth's arrival. "Good morning," she called out. "What are you two up to?"

"We're just getting ready to head out hunting," Daryl answered. I finished packing up lunch and swung the bag onto my shoulder. "Will you let everyone know?"

Beth looked confused. "You're going out hunting together?" She sounded as if she couldn't believe her ears. She looked over at me. I smiled.

"Yeah, well... We'll be back soon Beth." Daryl turned to me. "You ready?"

"Just as soon as I fill up my canteen."

As soon as we passed through the gate Daryl suggested that we head over to the marsh. "I'd like to see where it is, and you're best at hunting birds, right? I can hunt small game on the way, and if we find something larger we can go after that. Sound good?" I nodded and we headed off.

We were quiet as we trekked through the woods. It was pleasant silence. Daryl managed to kill a few squirrels on the way. When we got to the marsh Daryl whistled. "How on earth did you find this place?"

I looked around. It was beautiful. "I know right? Let's see what's out there. Come on Gertie." I began to move around the edge of the marsh, looking for signs of a flock in the wetlands. Daryl trailed behind us. When we got to an area that looked promising I set down my stuff. "Ready?" I asked Daryl. At his nod I told Gertie to go. The flock rose up, and Daryl and I released our arrows. After the birds tumbled to the ground I turned to Daryl. "Easy pickings." He laughed. We set up three more times, and although Daryl could only fire once every round, we brought down at least three birds each time. When we went to send Gertie back in after the last set of birds she just looked at me panting.

"She's got to be tired. I'll go," Daryl said.

"Wait. She's never not gone back. It might be something else."

Daryl looked down at Gertie. Then he whistled loudly. Immediately we could see movement not far from where Gertie had flushed out the birds. There was a walker in the marsh. "Wait till he's up on dry land. Don't want him in the water."

He reloaded his crossbow as I notched another arrow. We waited, Daryl occasionally letting out another whistle to draw him near. As the tall grass nearest to us began to move we got ready. When the walker came out, I froze. It was a little girl, not more than four. "Daryl..." I looked over towards him.

His eyes flickered over me briefly. "Don't look," he said. I glanced briefly back towards the girl before turning to the woods. I heard his arrow release and the drop of the body. I heard the splash as Gertie decided it was save to go after the other birds. "You alright?" Daryl placed his hand on my shoulder.

I took a steadying breath. "Yeah, I'm sorry. She just looked exactly like my niece Sarah. She's even the same age."

Daryl looked back at the body on the edge of the water. "Stay here, shut your eyes." I heard him move down to the water than rush past me. Two minutes later he was back. "She's gone baby. Are you sure you're alright?"

My mind had run wild while he was gone. "Daryl, you don't think.. I mean that couldn't have been Sarah right? I couldn't get in touch with any of my sisters before we left Boston. The phone lines were jammed. What if they ended up heading south too? Maybe I should go see, take another look at her." I began to move towards the woods.

"No. She's gone. It wasn't your niece. The odds that you and your niece would be here. Stella, it's just not possible." I started to open up my mouth to protest. "Baby, even if it was, what good would it do?"

"My sisters, they could be here. I could look for them." I could feel myself becoming slightly unhinged.

"No, you can't. That little girl had been dead for a while. Even if she was your niece, your family would never still be here. They would have moved on. You remember how it was on the road. You never stopped moving." He wrapped his arms around me. "Stella, I'm sorry, but your family isn't here. Alright?"

His arms began to move up and down my back, soothing me. I felt my breath catch and then the sobs began. Daryl sat down, pulling me into his lap. I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face in his shoulder. After a while the sobs slowly stopped, but I still didn't move. I needed his comfort. It wasn't until the I felt totally back under control that I lifted my head. "Better?" he asked.

"I'm sorry, I just miss them all so much. I wish I knew if there was even a chance that they were out there." I brushed the last of my tears away.

"Stella, from what you told me, with so many relatives there has to be at least some of your family left."

I let out a single laugh. "Thank you Daryl." I pulled in a shaky breath. "Okay. I'm okay." I wasn't sure who I was trying to convince him or me.

Daryl gave me a light kiss. "Let's head home."

"Yeah, let's go home."

* * *

I stretched out my body and groaned. When I got back I had been so tired from my breakdown that I had to go lay down. My head had barely touched the pillow before I was out. I vaguely remembered someone coming in and tucking the blankets around me. I glance towards the window and was surprised to see light sneaking around the curtains. I felt like I had slept forever.

I pushed myself out of the bed and grabbed my things to shower. I looked down at the sheets. They were speckled with mud. I had been so exhausted I hadn't even taken my clothes off before climbing into bed. I made a mental note to grab fresh sheets on my way back.

The shower woke me up. Really woke me up. Apparently the propane had run out. Oh well, at least the cold water will feel good in the summer. After I was dressed I headed back to the room. I stripped off the sheets and began making up the bed. As I spread the top sheet out, hands snaked around my hips. "Thought you weren't ever getting up." He nuzzled my neck.

"I know. Did everyone eat dinner yet?"

"Not yet. Hershel's wants to talk to you, wants to go over something with you. Asked me to let you know whenever you got up, to go find him."

"Do you know where he is? I'll go see him right now."

"He's got everyone tilling the field. Why's he looking for you anyway? Do you know?" Daryl was doing his best to distract me.

I was finding it a little hard to concentrate. "He probably wants to go over the list of medical supplies that we need. There's a hospital not far away." I pulled away. "I should probably go speak with him. We need those supplies and I think we should try to get them sooner rather than later. Walk me out?"

* * *

After dinner Hershel and I sat down with Rick and Daryl. Rick was immediately against the idea. "No, it's too dangerous. We still have some supplies. Work with those."

"We need these things. If someone gets injured, we can't be trying to get the supplies at that point. You saw how quickly things happened with Lori." Hershel said.

Rick looked over to where Lori was feeding Judith. His shoulders slumped. "What did you and Maggie see when you went there?" His reluctance to send the group into a dangerous situation was apparent. But he knew that we were right. If we didn't have the supplies, if something happened, people were going to die.

"Walkers were milling around the property. They were pretty spread out. The main entrance wouldn't work. It's too closed in. We'd have to find another way in there. I think we need to have a couple of people go there and really check it out. It may not be doable, but we have to at least see if it is." I hated saying it. I knew who would be going. I looked over at Daryl. He was looking back at me.

Suddenly he turned to Rick. "Why don't you and I go tomorrow. Hershel and Stella can finish up the list. And then we can plan the run for a few days from now."

"Alright," Rick nodded. "But if we come back and say it isn't going to work, that's the end of it. Agreed?" Hershel and I nodded. "Stella, where would we find most of this stuff?"

"The majority of it would be in the ER. That's probably the best place. However, some of it would be on the surgical floors. The ER entrance would be best, but if that's out, look to see if there is a day surgery entrance. They are usually set back a bit, but they almost always connect to the main ORs. If we could get in from there, we could go down to the ER. It would minimize the the time we would spend in the hospital. It's typically a straight shot."

"And if the ER is out completely?" Daryl asked.

I pursed my lips. "An ICU would be next on my list. But a town this small... they may not even have one, or stock what we're looking for. We could try a telemetry floor, but I'm not all that hopeful that they would have what we need. If that was the case, I'd rather try to get to the pharmacy. They don't stock a lot of drugs on the floors anymore."

Rick pulled out a map and he and Daryl bent over it, trying to decide what would be the best way to get to the hospital. I listened, a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. Scouting out the hospital would be dangerous. If something happened, if either of them were hurt, it would be my fault. They'd be careful though. They wouldn't take any chances. At least that's what I repeated to myself over and over.

* * *

A while later Daryl and I headed back to the room. "You haven't said anything all night," he commented as soon as the door was shut.

I walked over to the window and I pushed back one of the curtains Beth had made for us. Looking up at the night sky I could see that there was no moon tonight. The stars shone brightly against the black expanse. I waited until I felt calm enough to answer. I wanted to throw myself in his arms and beg him to be careful, or better yet, to stay with me. I turned and there he was, standing inches away, only in his jeans. His face was full of concern as he looked down at me.

I decided I didn't want to talk, not now. I leaned forward and pressed my mouth to his chest. I delighted in the taste of his skin. My lips trailed up his neck as my hands dropped to the buckle at his waist. Daryl's hands cupped my ass, pressing me closer. A groan of pleasure passed his lips. Hurriedly I pushed his pants down off his hips. As he stepped free of them, I kicked off my sneakers and began to shed my own clothes. He hands brushed mine away as he finished the job. Together we collapsed on the bed.

I quickly rolled on top of him, my legs straddling his hips. He positioned me over him, but I wanted something else. I wanted to please him tonight, to show him how much I cared. I scooted down and cupping him in my hands, lowered my head over him. When my tongue skimmed the head of the shaft, Daryl hissed. His hands buried themselves in my hair. I wrapped my lips around him and began to move my head, sucking gently. Soon Daryl pulled me up,and gripped my head with his hands.

He looked into my eyes, searching for something, for what I don't know. Then he kissed me. There was an intensity about the kiss, it matched the way I felt. I lowered myself onto his erection. I paused for a moment, letting myself fully appreciate the sensation. I sat back, and began to rock slowly, Daryl's fingers clasping my hips. I began to move faster. He raised his torso off the bed and buried his face in my breasts. His mouth closed over one of my nipples, tugging gently. I leaned back, allowing him whatever he wanted. Suddenly he twisted, pulling me underneath him. He became more desperate, more demanding and I answered in kind. I could feel when his muscles began to contract rhythmically. His orgasm set off mine and I held on tightly and followed.

He tucked me in tight next to his body, my head on his shoulder, my leg looped over one of his. We didn't say anything, just held each other. Soon, we drifted off to sleep. When I woke in the middle of the night I kissed him lightly on the shoulder. He turned and we made love again. I laid there after, thinking, I wanted to talk with him but I was afraid. I was apprehensive of tomorrow, and I felt that if I said anything, if I told him my fears, he wouldn't come back.

* * *

The next morning we laid in bed together for as long as we could, his arms were wrapped around me tightly. The fear that I had the night before had not diminished in the light of day. When it was time, we got up and began to dress. As soon as I was done I looked up and Daryl was watching me. He smiled gently and walked over, he reached out and his hand clasped mine. When we got out to the yard, Rick was already there, packing up some things. I grabbed two plates of breakfast and passed one over. I took a few bites of mine than put it down for Gertie to finish. I was too tense to eat.

When Daryl and Rick were ready I walked over to the gate with him. He kissed me gently. "I'll see you in a few hours," he said. I only nodded, afraid of what I would say if I opened my mouth to speak. I watched as he climbed into the car and Rick drove through the gates.

The morning passed slowly. It seemed as though the sun had frozen in the sky. I sat by Lori's side as I cut out squares for a quilt. It kept my hands busy but not my head. Maggie came over and sat down to start on her own.

"Do you hear that?" her voice cut into my thoughts. I looked over at her, she had her head slightly cocked to the side and her eyes to the sky. I looked up. Suddenly I heard what she heard. It was a motor of some sort, but it didn't sound right. The pitch kept warbling up and down.

"There!" Lori yelled, her finger pointing to the sky. Maggie and I turned to look. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. There was a helicopter, and it was in trouble. The chopper spun round and round as smoke began pouring out of it. We watched in horror as it plummeted to the ground.

Maggie and I looked at each other. We knew instantly that we were on the same page. If there was military out there, we needed to know. Besides, I couldn't leave men dying, trapped. "I'll go grab supplies."

"I'll get Glenn. Hurry. Just grab what you need."

I rushed down to the infirmary. Shit, I needed a bag. Hershel's room was right next door so I ran in there. I grabbed the first thing I saw, an old duffel bag, and ran back to get first aid supplies.

Oscar was standing by Maggie's car when I got back. Glenn and Maggie were all ready in the front. "I'll come with you," he volunteered.

I shook my head. "It'll leave the prison too unprotected. You have to stay." I pushed him aside and climbed into the back seat. Glenn hit the gas and we sped out through the gate.

"Did you see where it crashed?" I asked Glenn.

"A few miles over this way. I'll be able to figure it out a little better when we get closer."

It turned out we had to park the car on the side of the road and trek in. I grabbed the bag with the medical supplies. "How far do you think?" I asked as I pulled the strap onto my shoulder.

"Half mile, give or take. Terrain is pretty flat here, shouldn't take long."

I followed them into the woods, hurrying as fast as I could. Suddenly the strap on the bag ripped. The bag crashed to the ground and all the supplies spilled out, everything rolled everywhere. "Shit! Go on. See what's going on there. Don't move them unless you have to. I'll catch up." Maggie and Glenn hurried off as I started stuffing everything back in the bag. This time I made sure I zipped the bag before I took off after them.

As I reached the edge of the woods I had to stop to catch my breath. I was used to running but not while carrying an additional fifty pounds on me. I could see Maggie and Glenn by the crash site. Suddenly a military style hummer rolled into the clearing. When a man got out Glenn grabbed Maggie and pulled her behind him. I couldn't make out what they were saying. Glenn seemed on edge. Just as I was about to step out into the clearing a hand clamped over my mouth and I was pulled to the ground.

* * *

**Hope everyone had a good weekend.. I know I did. **

**I had so much fun writing the beginning of this chapter. I could picture in my head Stella leading Daryl into that trap. Sometimes men just can't see what's right in front of them. Especially if there is a naked woman in the picture. No offense boys. **

**Please review. You can even review as a guest if you don't have an account. Seeing what you all think helps keep me on track. **


	19. Chapter 19

**Before I start this chapter I just wanted to thank EonOfFortress for adding this story to their community, The Best of Daryl Dixon. I took a quick look and it seems as though there are some really good stories there. So take a look if you are wanting to find another story to read. Of course you should still keep up with this one! Anyways, enjoy the chapter. And as always I look forward to reading your reviews. **

* * *

Daryl was anxious to get back. He knew she had been worried about today, but it had gone off without a hitch. Rick had a great idea on how to draw a lot of the walkers away. They had a plan, and Daryl was sure they'd be able to get in and out without a problem.

As Rick drove up to the prison, Daryl scanned the faces inside. He was a little disappointed that she wasn't out there in the yard. As he looked for Stella, her face flashed in his mind and he thought back to last night. There had been a desperation about her that he hadn't seen before. All night he could practically hear her mind churning. He had waited for her to talk about it, to tell him what she was thinking, but she had been silent.

When they drove through the gates he realized there was something wrong. Everyone was too quiet. The Hyundai was missing. Who left? It couldn't have been Stella. She would have taken her own car. But there was Gertie standing next to Carl. Gertie was always with Stella. So she wasn't here. Why would she leave? Rick had barely stopped the car when Daryl shoved the door open. "What happened?" he directed the question to Hershel, but it was Oscar that answered.

"There was a helicopter that flew overhead, it crashed. Glenn and Maggie went out to see." Oscar looked at Daryl. "Stella went with them."

Rick spoke up. "A helicopter? Are you sure?" Without waiting for anyone to answer he continued. "When was this?" Oscar looked at his feet.

"About an hour after you left. It crashed a few miles over that way," Lori said indicating the direction with her head.

"Four hours? They've been gone for four hours?" Daryl began to pace back and forth. Even if they had found survivors that they couldn't move, Glenn or Maggie would have come back, if only to let everyone know what was going on. It was wrong, it was all wrong. He was barely aware of the conversation around him, he was so consumed in his own thoughts.

Daryl suddenly turned on his heel and stalked over to his bike. As he kicked it to life Rick grabbed hold of the handlebars. "Let go." There was steel in his eyes.

"You can't go off half cocked Daryl. We need to think about this. There probably isn't anything wrong. They could show up here any minute."

"You just want to wait around and see if they come back? Is that your fucking plan?" Daryl growled.

Rick sighed. "No. It's not. Just wait for a few minutes. Leave the bike. It's too noisy."

Fifteen minutes later Rick, Axel, Oscar, and Daryl were back in the car heading in the direction of the helicopter crash. Daryl was all but bouncing in his seat. He wanted to scream at Rick to hurry up, but he knew it would get him nowhere. Rick had threatened to kick Daryl out of the car once already.

Oscar and Axel were talking over a map in the back seat. "Good news is, there isn't too many roads over that way. Should be able to find their car pretty easily." Axel volunteered from the back seat.

A few minutes later they saw a faint stream of smoke in the air. Axel consulted the map and Rick turned off onto a small road a few hundred feet up. They stumbled across the Hyundai ten minutes later.

Daryl bolted for the car, there was no one in there. He tried the handle and it was unlocked. He yanked the door open and his heart sank a little. There was blood on the driver's seat, just a small smear, not a lot. But it was fresh. He slammed the door shut. "There's blood," was all he said to Rick as he passed him. He headed off in the direction of the crash. The trail was a mess. It looked like they had started down this way, but at least two headed back to the car. The trail was too smudged to make out individual foot prints. He wished he knew who was the two. A piece of white caught his eye. He bent down to retrieve it, it was a roll of gauze.

He hurried towards the crash site, not paying close attention to the trail. It wasn't until he reached the clearing that he realized he was only following two sets of footprints, and neither one of them was Stella's. "Fuck!" He was caught between hurrying to the crash site to look for her, and turning back to find her trail. When Rick and the others came through the trees behind him, he decided to head back in.

"Daryl, where are you going?" Rick asked.

"Not all of them came this way. Stella didn't come this way." He hurried back into the forest. She must have separated from them for some reason. But why? She wouldn't have gone off by herself, she was too careful. Daryl kept scanning the trail but couldn't find where she turned off. He went back to where he was sure there were at least three footprints heading in the direction of the crash and then turned and went back again. He passed it three times before he saw it. It was tiny, just a broken twig on a sapling. He started down the new trail, but he found himself hesitating to go. What if she was dead? Or worse. He wasn't sure if he would be able to kill her.

He could see the the woods opening up to the clearing in front of him. She had taken another path. Why? Suddenly Daryl remembered the mess of prints where he had found the gauze. Her bag must have spilled. He was about to cross into the clearing when he saw a spot of trampled grass. There had been a small struggle here. And there was blood. Not just traces either. There was no indication that she went closer to the field. Where the hell did she go? He saw Rick step out from the helicopter wreckage. "Anything?"

Rick looked over. "Tire tracks, you?"

Ignoring Rick's question, Daryl bolted into the clearing. "Where?" He hurried in the direction Rick pointed. At least four men got out, maybe five. They were pretty big by the depths of the impressions. More than four got back into the truck, but how many Daryl couldn't say.

"What did you find back there?" Rick asked. Daryl looked up from the ground. Oscar and Axel were looking decidedly uncomfortable out in the open. Daryl couldn't help but wonder how much of it was because they had been in prison for so long.

"There was another trail, signs of a small struggle. A fair amount of blood." His stomach turned at the thought of it. But maybe it was a good thing. There had been a smear of blood at the car. If it was hers, it meant she hadn't gotten into this car. But then it meant that she was hurt. Where was she? He'd have to go back to the car and look for another trail.

"The helicopter crew is all dead, they've all been shot. Neither Maggie or Glenn would have done that. They wouldn't have risked the noise. What the fuck happened here Daryl?" Rick asked.

Daryl thought for a moment before he answered. "Looks like they headed here. Stella must have dropped some of her supplies on the way so she ended up taking another trail in. If I had to guess, whoever put the bullets in the crew took Maggie and Glenn. Stella.. I just don't know. There's blood and signs of a struggle, but it doesn't look like she was brought into the clearing. With the blood back at the car, I think we should start there. Start looking for her trail." He turned to head back.

"What about the tire tracks? Can we follow them? If they have Glenn and Maggie, we got to look for them."

Daryl shook his head. "As soon as they hit pavement, they'll disappear. Nothing to be done. I'm going to look for Stella." Without waiting for a response he headed back to where they found the car.

An hour went by, then another. He kept losing the trail and he was getting desperate. Everything the trail told him was bad. There were two travelling together. Both women, both light. One was Stella, the other one wasn't Maggie. And at least one was bleeding. "Son of a bitch!" he swore as he realized he lost the trail again. He moved to back track. He had a memory of searching for Sophia the same way.

This couldn't be happening again. She wasn't supposed to leave the prison today. He had been the one doing something dangerous, not her. He had suggested that they scope out the hospital today for exactly this reason. He hadn't wanted her anywhere near that hospital. Every hospital he had seen had been overrun. She was supposed to be safe back at the prison. She had no business being out here. She could have stayed at the prison and they could have brought any wounded to her. Who the fuck let her go?

Oscar stepped in front of his line of vision and Daryl snapped. He needed someone to blame. He charged straight for Oscar. "How could you let them leave? You should have kept her safe!" He felt Rick grab him from behind, try to pull him back. He shook him off easily. He tackled Oscar and let fly. He took some blows, but he dealt out plenty of his own. Finally Rick and Axel managed to get a hold on him and pulled him off.

"Jesus Daryl! Back off! Are you trying to kill him? It's not his fault. You know he couldn't have stopped them from going. They asked him to stay behind to protect the prison." Rick yelled at Daryl.

Daryl stomped around, trying to shake the red from his vision. He needed a minute. When he looked back he saw Oscar wiping the blood from his lip and his shoulders sagged. He held up his hands as he approached. "Sorry man," He held out his hand.

Oscar looked at him warily, then reached out and gripped his hand. "Don't worry about it. Probably would have reacted the same way too if it was my old lady." Oscar chuckled. "Honestly I'm surprised it took you this long. Figured I was in for an ass whooping the moment you got back to the prison."

"We've been gone for hours. Someone should head back and let the others know what's going on." Rick said.

"Can't take the car. If we find her, we might need to get back quickly." Daryl protested.

"I can hot wire the other car, head back." Axel suggested.

Rick looked at Daryl and raised his eyebrows. "Why don't all of you go back? I move faster on my own anyway."

"No, Oscar and Axel will go back in the other car. I'll stay with you." Rick said, his voice leaving no room for argument. That decided, Axel and Oscar headed back to the car and Daryl and Rick backtracked to where he last saw the trail.

Daryl found the trail again and kept searching. They came to a small stream. Daryl searched the banks for hours but could find no trace of where they came out.

"Daryl, it's going to be getting dark soon. We've got to head back."

"No way. She's out here somewhere. I'll find it. I know it."

Rick stepped in front of him. "Daryl, she could already be back at the prison. They wouldn't send anyone out to tell us, because they wouldn't know where to find us. Daryl, think about it. The trail is heading in the general direction of the prison. We'll keep an eye out on the way back, but she could be there by now."

He was torn. He wanted to find out if Rick was right, if she was back at the prison. But what if she wasn't? He couldn't leave her in the woods. If he left her, they might never find her again. She could disappear into the woods, like Andrea, like Sophia.

Daryl never thought he would wish he had a cell phone. Now that Rick had planted the idea in his head, he needed to know. Without saying a word he turned and started running back through the woods. "What if she was there? What if she was hurt? What if she was dying? Or if she had made it back, and he while he was out here died? If he missed seeing her face one more time.."

He reached the car and had to wait by the driver's side door for Rick to emerge from the woods. As soon as Rick reached the car, Daryl reached out for the keys. "No way, I don't plan on dying between here and the prison. You'd be too busy watching the woods to keep the car on the road. Other side of the car Daryl."

He wanted to argue, but he knew Rick was right. He climbed into the passenger side of the car. His eyes scanned constantly for any sign of her on the way back. When the prison was within sight he leaned forward eagerly. She was there, he knew it. She wasn't in the yard, so she was probably in the infirmary. There was Hershel. He'd tell him. The car screeched to a halt and he leapt out before Rick even had it in park. He ran to Hershel. "Where is she? Is she alright?"

Hershel looked confused. "Daryl, she's not back here. We were hoping she was with you."

Daryl looked slowly around at everyone. Rick, Axel, Oscar, and Carl were looking at their feet. Lori, Carol and Beth were looking at him with sympathy. It was the sympathy he couldn't take. Sympathy meant that they didn't think she was coming back. He stumbled back a few steps. He couldn't be here with them. He needed to be around her. He headed into the prison to their room.

He walked in and shut the door. He began to look at her things. There propped up next to the bookcase was her bow. Her gun was on the shelf next to it. Despair filled him. She was in the woods and she had nothing to defend herself with. With a cry of pain, he started knocking things off of the shelves. But that wasn't good enough. He gripped the shelf itself and tore it off the wall. He slammed it over and over again against the concrete, pieces flying everywhere. When he was holding only a small chunk in his hand he threw it against the door. It hit with a satisfying thunk. Daryl looked around the room then sat down heavily on the bed and placed his head in his hands. Then he did something he hadn't done since he was a child. He cried.

* * *

Carol had come down and knocked on the door. Did he want something to eat? He had ignored her. He didn't want to see anyone. But he couldn't sit in here anymore. He could smell her, that flower scent that he could never figure out. He had meant to ask her, but always forgot.

He walked past everyone, their conversations growing quiet, straight to the guard tower. He wasn't going to give up. She could still be out there. Carol was gone for three days. Stella could do it. She was tough. But why wouldn't she be back by now? Even on foot, she should have been back. He had seen her climb. She was good, and fast.

As he passed through the door, Gertie trotted in behind him. He paused and looked down at her. She pressed her head against his leg and whinned. "Yeah, okay. You and me girl. Come on." Together they climbed the stairs. Daryl sat down in the same chair she had found him in the other day. If she came back, he'd move the chair into their room. He'd make sure it never got thrown out.

Soon everyone else turned in for the night, except for Rick. He didn't come to the tower though, he stayed by the fire. Daryl was glad they had all left him alone. He couldn't talk to anyone. He felt... he didn't know what the hell he felt.

The hours passed slowly. He wished there was more of a moon. It was just the tiniest sliver. He could barely see anything. The walkers outside were just blobs, shadows moving in the fields surrounding the gate. Fucking walkers. Grabbing his crossbow, he stepped outside onto the perch. He scanned the field. There that one. Fat son of a bitch. Eating everyone. He began to take aim. Just as he was pulling the trigger, half of the walker fell. It wasn't one fat one, but two walkers side by side. Daryl took aim at the one still standing, but then it bent down and pulled the fallen one up. His finger flew off the trigger. It wasn't walkers at all. "Rick! Rick! Get the gate! Rick!" Daryl sprinted down the stairs.

Rick was already pulling the chain from the posts when Daryl reached him. He pushed past him and ran into the field. He heard Rick firing his gun, taking down the walkers in his path. It was, it was her. She had another woman with her. He couldn't tell who was leaning on who. "Stella!" he yelled when the women went down in a heap. He rushed to them.

"Take her, she's passed out. Go Daryl, I'll be right behind you." Stella said, her voice weak. He hoisted the unconscious woman into his arms but was reluctant to leave her. "Daryl, please. I promise I'll get there."

He watched as she pushed herself to her feet. He didn't want her out of his sight, not even for the time it would take to get to the gate, but with the woman in his arms he couldn't do anything. It would be better to get her in the prison and then go back for Stella. The decision made, Daryl bolted for the gate.

He could see the others streaming out, drawn by the sound of gunfire. "Oscar! Come get her. She's unconscious." He put the stranger down on the ground. When he turned Stella was almost to the gate. A walker came close to her and Rick put a bullet through it's eye. Daryl ran forward and swept her into his arms. He was so consumed with the relief he was feeling, he hardly heard Rick shut the gate.

She was here, she was really here. Daryl lowered her to the ground and started looking her over. "I'm alright, there's nothing wrong with me. I'm just tired. Its Michonne. She's been shot." She started to sit up, to pull away to go to the infirmary to check on the other woman.

"No!" Daryl was surprised at the ferocity in his voice. "Hershel can see to her." He ignored her protests. She had a duffel bag with her. She had looped the handles over her shoulders. He pushed them off. Leaving the bag on the ground he carried her through the prison into their room.

He had forgotten about earlier. She looked at him with questioning eyes when she saw the mess. He set her down and quickly pushed everything of the bed, and shook out the blankets for splinters. He took her hand and led her to the bed. She sat down and he knelt in front of her. He examined her face. She looked so tired. She had dirt and scratches on her face. He sprung up and walked to where they were storing the clean linens. He grabbed a stack of towels and then headed to the food supply area for water.

When he came back she was just as he left her. He set the things on the floor in front of her and knelt back down. He picked up one of the towels and soaked the end of it. He started cleaning the dirt off her.

"I have to talk to Rick, I have to tell him what happened. Maggie and Glenn-"

He cut her off. "It'll keep till the morning. There is nothing to be done about it tonight." He peeled off her shirt and threw it into the corner. He wiped the towel down her arms and chest. Moving around he sat next to her and pushed her hair out of the way. He started cleaning her back. She turned to look at him.

"I'm glad you and Rick are back safely. I've been so worried all day. "

He looked at her for a long moment, surprise on his face. "You've been worried? I've been out searching for you in the woods."

She gave him a light smile. "Yes, but I've been worried since you left this morning. You've only been worried since you got back."

Her smile tugged at his heart. He leaned over and kissed her lightly on the lips. "Come on, let's get you to bed." He yanked her shoes off and pulled her to her feet. As soon as her pants were off, he pulled the sheets down and gently pushed her into the bed.

As he pulled his shirt off she said, "Daryl, will you go check on Michonne? See how she's doing?"

"No. If anything happens someone will come tell us." He wanted to do as she asked, but the simple truth was, he couldn't be away from her one more minute. He slid into bed next to her and pulled her in his arms. He kissed her on the temple and breathed in deeply. Tomorrow he'd ask her what that scent was.

* * *

**I had felt like I had been losing some of Daryl's edge the last few chapters. He was too calm. I hope I managed to get back to what we all love about Daryl Dixon. His totally unorthodox, rude, sexy self. In other words, a bad boy with a heart of gold. **

**On a funny note, I almost ended up posting my home inspection report thanks to Gertie. (Yes, she is a real live dog and very much like the one in the story.) Lesson learned- don't leave your laptop open on the couch with a dog that thinks the couch is her personal bed. You never know what will happen.**


	20. Chapter 20

When Daryl awoke she was gone. He thought perhaps he had dreamed her coming back. But no, there were her clothes in the corner of the room. There would only be one place she would go. Daryl quickly pulled on some pants and headed to the infirmary. When he pushed open the door he was surprised, no one was in there. Not even the patient. Where the hell was everyone? Daryl headed outside. As he got closer to the cell blocks he heard yelling. He hurried in.

Everyone was in the common room. They were all circled around, watching.

"Really? She's going to kill us in our sleep?" Why the hell would she do that Rick?" Stella yelled.

"We don't know her. What if she had something to do with what happened yesterday? Did you think about that?

"Jesus Rick! Use your head. I just told you, she saved me. Why would she do that if she was with them? She told me everything she knew about them. She isn't lying. Let her out."

"She stays in there!"

"Let her out!" Stella yelled.

"No! Not till we know!"

Stella paced around. "Well, what are you planning to do about the bathroom? You know the toilets in there don't work. Are you going to give her a bucket? Or should she just pick a corner of the cell and use that?" Stella asked, the disgust in her voice evident. She stormed out into the yard.

Daryl was tempted to follow her, but he wanted to know what was going on and thought he'd get more out of Rick. He walked over. "So... Want to tell me what's going on?"

Rick looked over at Daryl then jerked his chin towards the door. "That is one stubborn, pissed off woman."

"The stubborn part I knew all ready. How'd she get pissed off?"

Rick walked over to the door in between the common room and the cell block. "Moved the woman Stella brought back with her up here last night, after Hershel dug the bullet out and said the injury wasn't life threatening. Put her in here just in case. We don't know her. Don't want her to have free roam of the prison at any rate. Anyways, Stella comes in this morning and isn't too happy about it." He paused and assumed what Daryl liked to call his exasperated cop stance. Hands on the gun belt, one extended forward and slightly to the side. "We're going to have to talk to her about yesterday. About what happened with Glenn and Maggie. Do you think you can go talk to her? Calm her down?"

Daryl looked at Rick. "I'll see what I can do, but you're gonna owe me." He headed out after Stella.

He didn't see her at first. She was all the way down by the gate. He walked down there slowly. Give her some time to burn off that anger. He hadn't quite reached her when she started. "I can't believe he's got her locked up in one of those cells. Won't even let me in to see her. What does he think I'm going to do? Break her out? And go where?" She glared in the direction of the cell block. "She saved me. I would have walked right into that clearing. They would have take me just like they did Maggie and Glenn. Why would she do that if she wanted to cause us harm? Huh?"

Daryl leaned nonchalantly against the fence. "Didn't say that was what I thought."

"Well what do you think?" She asked impatiently.

Daryl shrugged. "Don't know what to think. Haven't heard what happened out there. Fact is, no one has. Rick probably figures he's rather apologize to one stranger, than bury any of us."

He knew he had her. The fight went right out of her. She kicked at the dirt at her feet.

He pushed himself away from the fence. He walked over to her and slid his hands around her waist. "I didn't like not having you there when I woke up." He kissed he on the tip of her nose. He was rewarded with a small smile.

"Tried waking you up this morning but you were sleeping like the dead. Figured that if you were sleeping like that, you probably needed it. You had a busy day yesterday."

Daryl smiled. "So did you." He looked back at the prison. "Come on, let's go tell that story and get your friend out of that cell." He swung his arm across her shoulders. She threaded hers around his waist. Daryl was amazed at how easy and natural it felt. They started back up the hill.

When they walked back into the common room everyone was waiting. Rick walked over. "Why don't I let her out. You and Carol can take her to the bathroom, then we can all meet outside. Hear that story after breakfast." He was offering an olive branch.

Daryl waited outside the cells while they got the stranger up. When they emerged, Stella was supporting some of her weight. The stranger was black, with dreadlocks hanging to just under her shoulders. She was about Stella's height, five-six, five-seven. She was fit. Daryl could see the definition in her arms. Her left thigh was wrapped with bandages. She also looked extremely irritated.

Daryl trailed after them to the bathrooms. He might trust Stella, and she might trust this woman, but it didn't mean he was going to take any chances. Fact was, he didn't want either Carol or Stella alone with her, but when he went to follow them into the bathroom, Stella stopped him. "You can just wait here." Daryl paced as he waited.

The bathroom trip completed, the quartet made their way outside. Lori was dishing up breakfast for everyone. Stella helped the stranger sit, then claimed the seat next to her. Everyone else kept a little bit of distance.

Daryl noticed that the woman was very alert, her hard eyes taking in all the activity around her. She did seem somewhat surprised and relieved that there were so many females within the group.

As soon as everyone was done eating Rick cleared his throat. It was time to get down to business. "Stella, I'd like to hear from you first as to what happened yesterday. Then from Michonne." Rick was using his most authoritative voice.

Stella cleared her throat. "Well, we went to the crash site, obviously. The strap broke on my bag of supplies and I had to stop to pick them up. I asked Maggie and Glenn to go ahead and see what was going on. I had just gotten to the edge of the clearing when a hummer pulled in. Maggie and Glenn were in the center of the field, there was no where for them to go. Five men got out. Glenn seemed ill at ease. I was just about to step out when Michonne grabbed me and yanked me down." Stella looked over at the woman sitting next to her. "It took a moment till I realized she wasn't trying to hurt me. I could hear voices in the field but I could only hear every few words of what they were saying. It seemed like Glenn maybe knew at least one of the men and he was pretty wary. Two of the men just grabbed Maggie and Glenn and pulled them into the hummer. The others went and shot all the helicopter crew. At least one of the men was still alive. I could hear him pleading with them. Then everyone climbed back in the car and drove off. That's when I realized Michonne had been shot. I patched her up the best I could and I decided to bring her here. If she hadn't grabbed me, they would have taken me too. She saved me." Stella reached over and gave Michonne's hand a grateful squeeze. "The rest of the story is hers."

Everyone turned to Michonne. "Stella said you know who these men are?" Rick asked.

Michonne nodded. "I was travelling with a companion when we came across a town. They took us in. At first it seemed like the perfect place, but something about it just rubbed me the wrong way. The man that runs the town, he calls himself the governor. I started poking around. There were just little things. They were too well armed, they were doing experiments on walkers... I didn't like it. I decided to leave, my friend decided to stay. The governor must have sent people out after me. Not to bring me back, but to kill me. He knew he hadn't fooled me. One of them shot me. They must have been driving around searching for me when they saw the helicopter go down. It was just chance that it crashed not far from where I was. They took your friends. Look, if the governor thinks that you have something that he wants, he's going to try to take it."

Everyone was silent for a few minutes, they were trying to digest what Michonne had said.

Suddenly Rick said, "I want to know everything about this town, where it is, what type of defenses they have, weapons. Everything. We're going to have to go get Maggie and Glenn back."

Axel produced a map and Michonne pointed out the town. It was roughly fifteen miles away, a little town called Woodbury. "They have perimeter walls that are always guarded. They have some pretty heavy weaponry. Must have gotten it from the military. The guards are all paramilitary wanna be's. Not a whole lot of training. The good news is, they can't shoot for shit."

Daryl spoke for the first time. "Sounds like we're going to be outmanned and outgunned. We're going to have to find a way to sneak in." He agreed with Rick that they had to go get their people back, but they were going to need to be careful about how they did it.

"It can be done. There's a couple of weak spots in the barricades around the town. Get me some paper and I'll sketch it out for you." Michonne offered.

Stella interrupted. "There's something else. We got pushed off course by a group of walkers. We had to go around them. We came across what looks like a small armory. It's still locked. There's a fence, so we couldn't get close enough to see inside, but it doesn't look like it's been touched."

A smile tugged at the corner of Daryl's lips. The thought of an armory, and a fully stocked one, was good news indeed. Michonne started to sketch out the town for Rick. Meanwhile, Oscar, Daryl, Stella and Carol headed for the armory. It was a small building, about a mile away from the prison. The reason Daryl hadn't come across it before was that there was a road that always had walkers spread out across it. He felt his stomach tighten when he realized that Stella had to have gone across it at least twice last night.

They cut a hole in the fence like they had in the prison and backed the SUV up to it. A shotgun blast made quick work of the locks. Moving quickly, they emptied out the armory. Stella stood outside picking off walkers with her bow. Daryl was thrilled at the variety and amount of weapons and ammunition. There was even a small stack of bullet proof vests. They left nothing on the shelves. As soon as it was done they headed back to the prison.

Rick had formulated a plan by the time they got back. The whole group crowded around to hear it. "Alright, we'll take the cars to here. Gonna have to walk from there. Michonne said she can lead us. We'll go in here, on this wall." Rick pointed at the sketch. "She says it has the most cover and the least patrols. All this here is all personal houses, doubt they'll be keeping Glenn and Maggie in there. But this section here is all used for town business. This old warehouse is the best bet. We'll start there then fan out. Hopefully we can get in and out without a problem." Rick paused. "What did you guys find at the armory?"

Daryl answered. "It's all good. We got automatic weapons, plenty of ammunition, hand guns, flash bangs, smoke grenades, bullet proof vests."

"Alright, we use the flash bangs and smoke grenades to cover ourselves if need be. Everyone take as much ammunition as you can. Meet back here in thirty minutes." The group broke up. Daryl headed straight over to the SUV to start loading spare magazines for the guns.

"Daryl?" Stella said quietly. She was standing behind him.

"Don't worry. We'll be back before you even know it. Here, take these," he passed her all but one of the Kevlar vests. "Pass them out to whoever is going." He turned back to what he was doing.

The group was assembling to go when Daryl saw Stella walk out of the prison. She was carrying her bow, a backpack and was wearing a vest. He stalked over to her. "No. You're not going." She ignored him, walking over to where the guns were laid out. She picked up one of the automatics and started loading her pockets with magazines and smoke grenades. "Did you hear me woman? I said you ain't going." Daryl said again, more loudly. When she still didn't acknowledge him, he grabbed her arm so she would face him. "Please." he begged softly.

Stella sighed. "Daryl, I have to go. It only makes sense to have someone there to act as a medic. Besides, I'm a good shot. You know this. Having two people there that can use long range silent weapons is a definite advantage. Besides, I'll go crazy till you guys get back." She looked up at him with those blue green eyes and Daryl knew he wasn't going to win this one. Still, he had to try.

"Rick, tell her she's not going." Daryl demanded.

Rick looked over at the couple and pressed his lips together. "Sorry Daryl, she's right. I get how you feel but she'll be useful. We're better off with her."

Daryl felt like punching something. "Fine. But we get there and you stay behind me the entire time. One of us tells you to move, you move. No arguments. You do what I say." His voice was tight with anger. He knew he was being somewhat irrational and overprotective but he couldn't help it. After yesterday... he would do anything to keep her safe.

The group that was going ended up consisting of Rick, Daryl, Michonne, Oscar and Stella. They all piled into the Range Rover. If they all got out with Maggie and Glenn it would be a tight squeeze on the way back, but at least they would all be able to fit in one car. When they parked Stella suggested they leave the keys with the car. They all knew why. Her being stranded because Glenn was carrying the car keys was fresh in everyone's mind. No one said it out loud though. They didn't want to admit that someone might not come back. They ended up tucking them in one of the wheel wells.

The hike to Woodbury was uneventful. They got there just after sunset. They agreed to wait until the town quieted down before going in. Stella and Daryl sat side by side. They didn't speak. He helped her tuck her hair up under a black cap. She adjusted the straps on his vest. An hour later there was only minimal sounds coming from the other side of the barricade. Rick gave the signal. Daryl took point. He squeezed through a small opening and covered the others as they followed. Michonne lead them to a store that she said would be empty.

Daryl ran to the window and peeked out. There were still some people milling about on the street. He turned to Michonne. "Thought you said the street would be empty."

She gave him a hard look. "There's a curfew. Those people are just stragglers." Rick pulled out the sketch of the town. "This is where we are. We have to get across this street and over to here." She drew an imaginary line as she talked. "We should stay away from this area here and here. There's direct lines of sight from the walls."

Rick folded up the map. "Everyone got it?" They all nodded. "Okay, Michonne will lead us out, then Daryl, myself, Stella, and Oscar, you bring up the rear.

On their way to the warehouse they had to duck into a open doorway twice to avoid being seen. Daryl had to admire the way Michonne moved. She was like a cat. She had a knack for timing and she paid attention to her surroundings.

Finally they got to the warehouse. Luck was with them. There was a broken basement window. They dropped in one by one. When Daryl helped Stella down she gave him a hard brief kiss. "For luck," she whispered.

Daryl moved in front of Michonne and took point. They made their way speedily through the different rooms. Daryl could hear what sounded like crying. "Shh." he whispered holding up his hand. He glanced around the corner. "They're not in there, probably the next one over," he said softly.

Suddenly they could hear footsteps coming their way. "Back up to the next room," Rick said hastily. The group started backtracking. "Daryl, use a flash bang, I'll follow with smoke."

As soon as Rick gave the signal, Daryl tossed in the flash bang. He turned back around and shut his eyes. As soon as he heard it go off he was around the corner. Rick's grenade was pumping out smoke. He saw Stella rush in and grab Maggie while Oscar grabbed Glenn.

He covered them till they were all out and then followed. A bullet ricocheted off the wall and buzzed by his ear. They ran back through the rooms. Daryl dropped another smoke grenade to cover them.

When they reached the street there was a lot of activity. "Damn! We're going to have to find a new way out," Rick said. Daryl took out his knife and cut Glenn and Maggie's hands free.

"Go that way," Michonne pointed to their right. "There's a town square. It's a little open, but there isn't any sentry stations nearby."

Daryl lead the group down some side streets till they came to the edge of the square. He found an unlocked door and ducked in. Glenn collapsed on the ground and Daryl watched as Stella bent over him.

"How the hell did you find us Rick?" Maggie asked, her voice slightly hysterical.

He ignored Maggie's question. "Can he walk?" he asked Stella.

She looked up from Glenn. "Yeah, no broken bones, but he's wicked banged up." She looked around. "Where's Michonne?"

Daryl ran to the window. "She ain't out there."

Rick ran over to look. "Doesn't matter. She's on her own. Daryl. What do we got left for grenades and flash bangs?" They immediately began trying to figure out a way out. Stella moved from Glenn to Maggie. He heard her ask if Maggie was alright.

Glenn's voice interrupted Rick. "Daryl, it was Merle. Merle did this." Stella's head whipped around to look at Daryl.

Merle was alive. Daryl felt exhilarated at the thought. "What are you sure? You saw him?"

"Oh yeah, up close and personal. No offense but he's a real asshole."

"Well does he know that I'm still with you?"

"He does now. Rick. We told them about the prison. I'm sorry. We just couldn't hold out." Glenn grimaced as he sat up.

"Don't worry about that now. We got to find a way out of here."

"Rick, I've got to go find Merle." Daryl said. He couldn't believe Merle as alive. And here.

"Not now Daryl. We've got to get out of here."

Daryl protested. "No, Rick. He's my brother. Maybe he can help us out. He's not going to-"

Rick cut him off. "Daryl, Merle's the one that did that to Glenn. I need you. What if we get swamped by walkers or this governor catches us? What about them?" Rick indicating the rest of the group. "They need you. I need you. Now are you with me?"

Daryl looked over at her. Rick was right. He couldn't leave the group. "Okay."

"We're going to have to go over the wall. There's a bus over there. We could use it to get over. We'll use the smoke for cover, everyone stay close to the stores until we get closer. There's no cover on the other side.

He saw Stella remove her vest and put it on Maggie. "Stella."

She looked over at him. "There's no time to talk about this Daryl." She helped Maggie get Glenn to his feet.

"Shit. Stay behind me." He turned to Rick. "Ready?"

Rick counted down. "Three, two, one." He yanked the door open. Daryl tossed a smoke canister out into the street. "Let's go." The group poured out onto the street. Immediately there was gunfire. Everyone with guns turned and fired back, covering Maggie and Glenn. They ran down the street, hugging the buildings. Daryl saw Oscar take down two men. "Take cover!" Rick cried out. "Go go go!" They all ducked into a recessed doorway.

"Jesus, how many are out there?" Stella asked. She was slightly out of breath.

"It don't matter. There's gonna be more of them any minute. We got to move. I'll cover you guys while you make a run for it." Daryl said.

"No!" Maggie exclaimed. "We have to stick together!"

"It's too hairy. I'll be right behind you." He answered Maggie but he was looking at Stella. Her eyes were wide with fear. He gave her a quick hard kiss. He turned and tossed the last of the smoke grenades out into the street. "Go!"

The others took off running. When Rick got to some cover he ducked down behind it and started firing. "Daryl! Come on!"

Daryl ran to the edge of a monument and ducked down behind the stone. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Oscar climb up on the hood of the bus and pull Glenn up. As he was boosting Glenn onto the roof Daryl saw him fall back off the bus. He had taken a shotgun blast just under his arm where the vest didn't protect him. "Shit!" He turned and fired. The man ducked behind a tree. He glanced back to look. He saw Stella shake her head and Maggie fired down at where Oscar was laying. Just as Stella stood up he heard a second blast from the shotgun. He saw the blast hit her directly in the chest. She flew back into the bus. She didn't get back up.

"No!" Daryl fired at the man. Jesus, he couldn't have been more than ten feet away when he shot her. He looked back again and saw Rick hoist her onto his shoulder. "She must still be alive. Rick wouldn't have taken her if she wasn't alive." he told himself.

Rick called out, "Daryl! Come on! We got to go!" He climbed up over the bus.

He had to buy them more time. Between Glenn and having to carry Stella, Rick was going to need all the time he could give him. He fired his gun in short bursts while he moved back and over towards the bus. He was almost out of ammunition. He was focused on trying to take out one of the sentries that was a good shot. He didn't hear the man behind him.

He heard a loud crack and then he fell face down.

* * *

**So I used a lot of what happened in the show for this chapter. I really liked the way they had it set up. I did try to make it a little more like my own, but I loved some of the lines so much I had to use them to augment my story. **

**Since this is where the mid season finale happened expect to see a big divergence from the show. As much as I wish I could say I know what's going to be coming on the show, alas, I have no idea. What I can say, is I've already started writing the next chapter, so make sure you check back soon, (very soon!) to see what happens in this story. **

**Don't forget to review! I must admit I get giddy when I get a notification that someone reviewed. I think it's my favorite part of all this. **


	21. Chapter 21

My world was bouncing and spinning. That was my only thought before it went dark again.

* * *

The next time I opened my eyes I knew I was back at the prison. Carol's face loomed above mine. "Hershel, her eyes are open." As Carol moved back, light from the window shone in my face. My head exploded. I turned my head and felt vomit pour from my mouth.

"Get her on her side," I heard Hershel say. Then the blessed abyss opened up and swallowed me again.

* * *

I had never known such pain. My head felt as though there was a reggae band playing off-key in there. The slightest movement sent waves of agony through me. My chest felt as though someone had placed a fifty gallon drum on it and there was a burning sensation in my stomach. I wished I would pass back out.

I could hear people talking quietly outside of the room, but I couldn't really tell what they were saying. At least until they raised their voices. "With who should I go back with Carol? Oscar's dead, Glenn can barely walk, and Stella is laying in there unconscious! You tell me!"

"Well what about Maggie? Michonne said she'd go back, and I'll go. Maybe we could ask the other group to help out. We can't just leave him there, we have to try!" Carol shouted back.

Ugh. I wished they would go away. My head was pounding and the noise was making it worse. At least they had closed the curtains. "Daryl?" I croaked. My hand searching for his.

"Stella? Honey? It's Lori. You're back at the prison." She smoothed my hair back out of my face.

"Lori?" I was confused. The yelling in the hall picked up. I couldn't think around the pain. "It's too loud." I closed my eyes again. I heard the door open and close and then voices cut off abruptly. When she was back I asked her. "Daryl? Where is he?"

She didn't answer the question. Instead she said. "Hershel left me something to give to you. It's for pain. Do you want it?"

I managed to croak out a yes. Maybe if it didn't hurt so much I could think. Did I ask her about Daryl yet? As the drugs swept through my body, my eyes shut again.

* * *

The next time I woke up it was dark. And I had to pee. Carol was sleeping in the chair next to the table. I rolled over and sat up. My world did a funny dip. I had to cup my head in my hands, as I swallowed hard to keep from throwing up everywhere.

Besides the nonstop pounding in my head, my chest and abdomen were killing me. As I went to push off of the table I could tell that at those ribs that had been healing so nicely had taken a bad turn. What's worse, there was a tube sticking out of the side of my chest through the bandages. Ugh. I gathered up all the lines that were attached to me and made my way very slowly down the hall to the bathroom. Thank goodness someone had left the keys hanging on a hook next to the door at the end of the corridor.

As I left the bathroom I heard voices coming from the cell block. Maybe Daryl was there. I was almost there when I caught my toe. I fell against the wall, my head spinning again. I sank down to the floor and laid on my back. It was cold next to my skin. I really did not feel good. "Maybe I should call my doctor," I thought to myself. Later, right now I needed to concentrate on something other than the feeling of nausea in my belly and the pounding in my head. So I listened to the voices.

"No I'm telling you these are good people. That kid, he didn't have to help us. Look around. When was the last time you got a full night's sleep?" The voice was deep, too deep for Daryl or Rick's voice. Must be Oscar.

"Look, I'm telling you we could take this prison. Just ask for a helping hand and take their guns. It's one man, a couple of women, an old guy with one leg and a kid. It wouldn't be hard."

"Why would we do something like that? That's not who we are. That's not who I am." It was the deep voice again. I liked that voice, it was soothing. Didn't make my head hurt. I closed my eyes and drifted off again.

* * *

"Ohh" I moaned. It seemed like every time I woke up just as bad as the last. Nothing seemed better. If anything, more parts of my body hurt.

"Well hey there," I heard a voice. It was Hershel. "Glad to see you're awake. No more midnight romps for you though. Just about scared us half to death when we realized you were gone. Carol started screaming bloody murder. Found you out in the corridor. You probably wandered because of your head injury."

I looked at him for a moment and tried to get my bearings. "What happened?"

"Shotgun. You took one right in the chest at close range. Thank God you had put on a second vest under your shirt. Couple of pellets went through though. I had to dig them out. Think you chipped one of your ribs because your lung collapsed."

I was trying to follow him the best I could. "Shotgun? You said head injury."

"Yeah, Maggie said you fell back pretty hard, I think you have a skull fracture. 'Course without an x-ray I can't be sure. Do you think you can sit up? I want to take a look at you."

Just as I was sitting up Rick came in. "Oh, sorry," he said turning to the wall. I looked down. I was naked except for the bandages and tape on my chest.

"Oh." I tried to pull the sheet up but the moment my hands left the table I started to lose my balance.

"Grab her!" yelled Hershel. He was trying to help but was already unsteady because of his leg.

Rick ran over and wrapped his arms around me, my face stuffed into his chest. I had to breathe deeply or I was going to vomit all over him.

I heard Hershel say, "Just hold her there. I'll go get a shirt she can slip on."

When I was relatively sure that whatever was in my stomach was going to stay there I said to Rick, "Thanks. Thought for a second both Hershel and I were going down." My voice was muffled.

"Yeah me too. Already had to pick you up once today. Didn't want to do it again." I vaguely remembered laying on the concrete in the hallway. I wondered if I had been naked then too. I had a sneaking suspicion that I was.

"Rick? Where's Daryl? Why hasn't he come to see me?" I asked. I didn't want to know the answer but I had to know.

Rick's answer was so quiet I had to ask him to repeat it. "He didn't get out of Woodbury."

I felt myself freeze inside. "Is he dead?" My voice was eerily calm.

"I don't know. He never followed us over the walls. There were gunshots and then a lot of shouting. I'm sorry Stella, I wish I could tell you more. With Glenn and you, I couldn't go back, not even to look."

"I understand. Thank you for being honest." I was ice. I had turned into a block of ice. Still, I couldn't help but go through the motions. "What about everyone else? Maggie, Glenn?"

"Michonne, Maggie and Glenn are fine. Oscar didn't make it."

Rick's words didn't make any sense. I had heard Oscar's voice last night. It had to have been him. But Rick said he was dead. If it wasn't Oscar than who the hell was it?

"Last night. I heard voices," I began.

Rick knew where I was going with it right away. "Yeah, apparently while we were gone, a group of survivors made their way into the prison through a break in the fence. Carl lead them into the cell block and common room and locked them in. I haven't been in to see them yet. Been too busy with you and Glenn."

"Oh," Rick's words bothered me, but I didn't know why. I tried to think about what I heard, but all I remember was how soothing that voice had been. It had reminded me of listening to the ocean waves crashing against the rocks at night.

"I've got one that will work." Hershel called out as he came into the room. He helped me slip one arm then the other into the shirt. Hershel helped support me while Rick did up the buttons.

"Well if I didn't know better I'd be oftly jealous," said Lori lightly as she walked into the room. I turned my head to look at her and instantly wished I hadn't.

"I gotta lie back down," I said.

"No, no. Just stay put for another minute. I have to test your reflexes and can't with you laying down." I groaned but stayed put. It was an awkward neuro exam with Rick propping me up and Hershel moving around on his crutches. Still, he got the job done. He listened to my heart and lungs while I was up as well. "Okay," he said to Rick. "You can lay her back down, but don't go anywhere. Stella, I want to remove the chest tube. It shouldn't hurt too much but I'll give you some pain killers. You're due for another dose anyway." I nodded, pain killers sounded like a wonderful idea.

As soon as Hershel gave me the morphine he turned to Rick. "I'm going to cut the sutures holding the tube in place and then pull it out. Just make sure she doesn't move." I listened to all of this with a fog surrounding me. Hershel gave good pain-killer. I felt him pull the left side of my shirt up to expose the tube and he lifted my arm above my head. There was some sort of snipping noise and a couple of brief tugs. "Okay, just hold her arm here and brace her here. Don't let her pull away." I felt Rick do as he was told. Lori grabbed my other hand and gave it a squeeze. There was a gross feeling of something moving in my chest and then it was over. "Just a couple of quick sutures to close up the hole. There. All done."

The hands holding me down let go. I held on to Lori's though. "Why don't you boys give us a few minutes?" I hear her say. She pulled the chair up next to the table and sat down.

"Lori, Rick said Daryl didn't make it back." I paused, hoping she would tell me it was a sick joke or a mistake. But she only nodded. "Are they going to go back there for him?" The morphine was making me tired. But I fought it off. I needed to know this now.

She shook her head slowly. "No Stella. They're not. Rick thinks it'd be a suicide run. There's not enough of us left to go." Her voice caught.

I just looked at her. "I think I'm going to rest now, I'm really tired," I said.

She gave me a quick kiss on my forehead. "I'm really glad you're back Stella."

I heard the door shut behind her. Tears began to flow from the corners of my eyes. Was he alive? Was he dead? How could this happen again? How could I lose a second man and not know what happened to him? It was a while before I was able to go to sleep.

The next day, Hershel said I could go back to my room. I had forgotten about the mess. I hadn't cleaned it up that morning before we left for Woodbury. As Maggie helped me in, I saw her eyes go wide. "What the hell happened here?" she exclaimed. Chunks of shelving were all over the room.

I couldn't answer. It hurt just to think about it. "Doesn't matter. Can you just help me lay down?" My balance was still really off. She helped lower me onto the bed.

"Do you need anything? I could get you some food." She said hopefully. I had been having a hard time eating. Anything that went down tended to come right back up. I wasn't sure if it was totally because of my head or if my emotional state was a factor. Nothing seemed to matter anymore. Even seeing Gertie this morning didn't lift my spirits. Still, I knew the others were worried. I tried to be good for them.

"Some ginger ale would be nice, with tons of ice and a curly straw," I joked. "However, if you're out, I guess some lukewarm water would do it." I laid back on the bed.

"Sure. I'll be right back."

When Maggie came back with the water I pretended to be asleep. I knew she was going to thank me for going to Woodbury, to tell me how sorry she was again. I just couldn't take it. It seemed strange that people who had known Daryl for almost a year were apologizing to me. I had only known him for... two weeks? Had that been all? It had seemed like so much longer. Lori was right. Time meant something different now.

The morning passed slowly. I didn't even have a hefty dose of pain killers to look forward to. With my balance still a problem either I had to have a baby sitter all the time, or no drugs. I chose to be by myself.

After a while I needed to get up. I just couldn't lay there anymore. I felt like if I did I was going to slowly begin to melt into my bed, to fade away. I slowly stood up. With the mattress so low it was difficult. I must have looked like a drunk mime trying to stagger to his feet. Finally I was standing upright. Kind of. I had to keep on hand on the wall at all times and couldn't pick up my feet because they tended to go in the wrong direction.

I shuffled my way up the hall to the bathroom. If I was going to pass it, I might as well use it. After I was all done I headed outside. I passed by the cell block common room. There were four people inside. Two men, a young woman and a teenage boy. As I passed I heard the boy ask, "Is she drunk?" I ignored him. I could barely deal with the people I liked, let alone people I didn't know.

One of the older men said, "I don't know, but it looks like she needs some help. Someone should be with her, give her a hand." Something about his voice, something he said tickled at my memory. But honestly, thinking hurt. This headache was killer.

When I got to the door leading outside I almost fell through it. It didn't help that the sun was so bright. It hurt my eyes. "Here, let me help." I looked towards the voice. It was Carol. She took my arm and helped me walk down to the cooking area where some chairs were. I stood in front of the chair for a moment, unable to sit. The sun was so bright. "Are you alright?" Carol asked.

"Yeah, I think so. My head just hurts so much and the sun isn't helping." I said.

"Here put your hand on the table. It'll help." She helped guide me into the chair. Her hat plopped down on my head, the wide brim shading my eyes a little. "There, that's better. How about I go talk to Hershel and as long as you promise to stay put for a while, I'll see about getting you some drugs."

"Carol, right about now I'd promise you anything for some painkillers." My headache had taken on epic proportions. She quickly disappeared. A few minutes later she returned.

"Okay," she said, my eyes popping open at the sound of her voice. "I have some drugs for you, but we're going to move you first." Rick was standing next to her holding an upholstered chair. "We don't want you falling out of those little plastic things." She snickered. I had to admit, it was a definite possibility. She and Lori helped me stand up while Rick swapped out the chairs. When I was sitting back down Carol pushed the morphine through the IV I still had in my arm.

The pain began to fade and with the sun warming my body I dozed.

It was Rick's voice that woke me. "No way, no fucking way! You're not comin' in here." I opened my eyes slowly. I must not have been out that long, I could still feel the effects of the Morphine.

"He's my brother!" I ain't leaving 'im!"

"I will shoot you right now!"

"You can't. You can't even kick me out. Daryl would never forgive you and you know it."

At the sound of Daryl's name I began to get up. I had to find out what was going on. I managed to get to my feet and turn around. Rick was holding a gun on a man. He looked enough like Daryl that I knew instantly who it was, Merle. But there, laying on the ground behind them, was another body. Carol and Hershel were bent over it. I started to rush forward, but tripped over my own feet. I went down hard landing on my hands. Pain screamed out from my ribs and my brain took another ride on the tilt-a-whirl. I tried to get up, but as I did the world took a hard spin and blackness closed in again.


	22. Chapter 22

**So lucky you guys, I must have scraped this entire chapter at least three times, but once I got it going, it came out quick. So I did a fast edit,** **and here it is..**

* * *

There were hands holding him down. He felt the sting of a needle as it jabbed into his arm. "He's alright. He just started to wake up." The words sounded so very far away.

"Why'd he pass out?"

"Are you kidding? Look at him. If someone did this to you, then you had to hike fifteen miles through the woods and didn't sleep for three days, you'd pass out too. Pass me another suture would you?" The voice was quiet for a moment. "We're going to run out of pain killers and antibiotics before too long."

There was a rhythmic pulling sensation on his back. Suddenly it stopped. "You should be laying down," the voice paused. There was a murmur as someone answered. "Fine, but sit in a chair and don't get out of it."

A hand closed over his. It felt nice. He wondered if his mind was playing tricks on him because he could smell her. It had to be his imagination because she was dead.

* * *

He was laying on a hard table on his stomach. His back was on fire. He shifted uncomfortably on the table and opened his eyes. He did make it back to the prison. For a while there he wasn't sure if he was going to.

"Hey," a voice said softly. He turned his head to the other side.

"Stella?" She was sitting in a chair next to the table. "I saw you get shot." He said confused. Maybe he was losing his mind.

She smiled over at him. "You didn't think I was going to risk getting killed by a bullet, did you? I just didn't want to leave the last vest here. Couldn't think of another way to carry it." Her hand pushed his hair out of his eyes. "Do you want something for the pain?"

"No." It would make him drowsy. He had this awful fear that if he fell asleep she would be gone when he woke up. "I thought you were dead." For the last few days he had run it through his head over and over again. He would close his eyes and see her fly back against the bus. He had seen the front of her shirt tear apart.

He moved to get up. "No, don't," she said trying to stop him. "You'll rip your sutures." He ignored her and pushed himself to a sitting position.

He sat on the edge of the table and looked down at her sitting in the chair. "Come here." He pulled her hand towards him. She removed her hand from his and used it to push herself up. His brow furrowed as he watched her wobble. She reached out and grabbed his hand as she straightened all the way. "Stella?" he asked quietly.

She shuffled the few steps over to him. It was though she was afraid to pick up her feet. "Something just got knocked a little loose in my head is all. It's nothing to worry about." She stood between his thighs. He must have looked doubtful because she moved to reassure him further. "Hey, it's alright. Hershel's keeping a close eye on me." When she kissed him lightly he felt her sway on her feet.

The door opened and Hershel came in. When he saw the two of them he snorted. "Should've known better than to leave the two of you in here alone. Sit down before you fall again," he said to Stella.

He turned to Daryl. "How you feeling?" Daryl shrugged. The movement reminded him that his back was shredded. "You're not going to win any beauty pageants for a while," he said as he began pressing his fingers systematically against Daryl's face. Daryl winced as Hershel pressed on a particularly tender spot. "Doesn't look like anything is broken though." Hershel clumped around to the other side of the table.

"They made nice work of your back." Hershel commented as he looked at it. "I stitched up some of the deeper cuts, but you're going to have to be careful for a while. You move around too much and it's all going to open back up." He moved over to one of the shelves. He grabbed a tube of ointment and gave it to Stella. "I know there's no way either of you will be staying in here, so take this. I'll go see if I can get someone to help you back."

As soon as Hershel left Daryl asked, "How bad is it?"

"It'll take a while for everything to heal. You'll have a few scars." She smiled. "Add to your rugged good looks."

Daryl shook his head. "Not me. You. Hershel wasn't saying I need help getting back, he was saying you need help getting back. And don't give me some bullshit run around answer."

She leaned back in the chair. "It's not as bad as it seems. Hershel thought at first it was a skull fracture, but it seems more like it's probably a small bleed somewhere in my head." Concern flashed across his face. "It's not really getting worse so it's probably stopped. There's just a little too much pressure in there. As soon as the swelling goes down it'll start getting better."

Too many thoughts flashed through his mind. He was trying to decide what to ask when Rick walked in. "You tough son of a bitch. Didn't know if we'd be seeing your ugly mug around here again." Rick laughed and shook Daryl's hand enthusiastically.

"Couldn't leave you alone here. Knew this place would go to shit without me." Daryl smiled broadly.

Stella began to laugh. "I swear, I'll never figure out male bonding. It's like it would kill the two of you to say that you're glad to see each other."

"Maybe it would, I've never said it before." Daryl quipped. His face grew serious. "What'd you do with Merle? Figured you wouldn't be too happy to see him."

Rick's jaw clenched. "I know he's your brother, but after what he did to Glenn.. we locked him in one of the cells. Have to say, he went easier than I thought."

"Yeah, well, when you're back's against a wall you take anything you can get. There's no way he can go back to Woodbury. That asshole governor is almost as pissed at Merle as he is at us. Rick, he's going to be coming here. Spent a real long time asking me questions."

"Like what?" Rick asked.

Daryl looked at Rick with incredulity. "What was my favorite type of ice cream. What the fuck you think he asked? How many people, guns, defenses." Daryl gave a wry laugh. "Don't think he liked my answers."

Rick raised his eyebrows and looked at Daryl's bruised face. "No, guess he didn't. We can talk about it tomorrow. You hungry? Lori said she'd bring you down some dinner." Daryl shook his head. " Then why don't we get you two back to your room." He moved over to help Stella stand.

Daryl went to get up and realized he was naked. His jeans were in the other corner of the room. He looked over at Stella and saw her eyes sparkle with amusement. "Don't worry, Rick's already seen me naked. A couple of times. Don't think he'll be too impressed with you after that."

Daryl's eyes narrowed to slits. Rick blushed. "Hey man, I didn't see anything" When Daryl didn't relax he continued. "I swear, I didn't look."

Daryl hopped off the table and gasped as his knees almost buckled. Jesus he was weak. He managed to catch himself before he embarrassed himself by sprawling face down on the floor.

After he managed to shove his legs into the jeans he turned back around. Rick had Stella standing and they were making their way to the door. He watched as she shuffled forward slowly, hand gripping Rick's, his other hand on her lower back, ready to grab her if she fell. Looking at her he was filled with both joy and distress. She was alive, but whatever was going on in her head was no small thing.

He followed them down the hall and watched as Rick lowered her to the bed. She hissed through her teeth as she sat. Rick passed by Daryl. "See you in the morning man."

Daryl shut the door and then he went over and sat down next to her. She pressed her forehead to his. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again. I thought they had killed you."

He breathed her in. He pulled back abruptly. "What type of flower do you always smell like?"

"What?" she seemed confused at the turn in conversation. "Oh, um, it's probably the soap I use. Lavender."

Daryl slowly nodded his head up and down. "Lavender. That's been driving me crazy for days." He pushed her hair off her shoulder, bent over and kissed her neck. "Now I know."

"Daryl? What-" She was cut off by a knock on the door. "Come in."

Lori pushed the door open. "Rick said you didn't want anything to eat, but I figured I'd bring it down here anyway. Besides, I got some pain killers for Stella." She held up a syringe. "Don't argue. Hershel said to made sure you get it. Said to remind you of your blood pressure."

As Lori attached the syringe to Stella's IV, Daryl picked up the bowl. It was a good thick stew. He dived in. "Where'd you get the meat?" he asked between bites.

Lori started to laugh. "Rick went out one day to hunt. A deer pretty much walked across his path with a bulls eye on it. Though to hear him tell it, he tracked the thing to China. Wasn't even gone an hour." She looked down at Stella. "There, that's all done. Get some sleep and I'll see you two in the morning." She leaned over and kissed Daryl on the cheek. "I'm glad you're back Daryl."

"See? Women say nice things, not like you men." Stella said as she scooted back onto the bed.

Daryl scraped the bottom of the bowl then turned to look at her. "I can say nice things." Stella began to chuckle. "No really." He put the bowl aside then cast off his jeans to climb into bed. "I could say that you have a great belly button." He reached down to undo the clasp of her pants. "Or that your toes are adorable." He pulled them off. He started undoing the buttons on her shirt. "That you have sexy collar bones." He pulled her to a sitting position so he could push it off her shoulders. She laid back down and Daryl's smile collapsed.

Her chest and abdomen were covered with sutures and band aids. She reached up to touch his face. "It's all just superficial. Not one of them was that deep. Come lay down and keep saying nice things." She tugged him down gently.

He laid on his side next to her and pulled the covers over them. He was serious as he said, "If I had to say one nice thing, I would tell you that I wouldn't have known what to do without you. That the last three days were hell, but only because I thought you had died." He leaned over and kissed her.

"I was wrong. You say the nicest things." Her voice was drowsy from the medication. She snuggled in closer to him.

Daryl felt his body relaxing as he laid next to her. He pulled her in tight and threw his leg across hers. He couldn't believe that she was laying in his arms again. He began to think about what life had been like before her. Never had someone meant so much to him. He knew she had changed him. Exhausted he closed his eyes and fell into a dreamless sleep.

The sound of the door opening woke him. He pried his eyes open to see Beth help Stella in. "It's okay Beth I got it from here. Thanks," she shut the door quietly. As she turned she saw his eyes were open. "Morning. How do you feel?"

"Don't know yet, give me a minute." Daryl rolled to a sitting position. And groaned. "I feel like an old man." He hauled himself to his feet. "Of course I think I'd feel better if I got a little love." He grinned and gave her a brief but passionate kiss.

"What time is it? I feel like I've been sleeping forever." Daryl started pulling on clothes.

"I'd guess sometime around ten. They saved you some breakfast. Here, wait. Let me put this on your back."

"What is it?" he asked as he turned around. He felt her begin to dab it over the shredded skin.

"Just some antibiotic ointment. We should stop at the infirmary and get you some oral antibiotics as well. Just to be safe. All done."

Daryl watched move around the room as he buttoned up his shirt. "You seem to be moving a bit better today."

"I feel better. Headache is almost tolerable and I'm not nearly as dizzy all the time. Ribs still hurt something awful though." She laid the last of her things on the bookcase. "What do you say we head outside? Everyone wants to see you."

"Sounds good, just one condition."

Stella looked at him warily. "What?"

"Gotta stop at the bathroom."

She laughed. "If you must. Come on." She took hold of his arm as they walked out together.

* * *

When the passed by the entrance to their old cell block, Daryl walked over and looked in, hoping to see Merle. Instead he saw four strangers. "Who the hell are they?" he asked Stella.

"They apparently came in through one of the breaks in the prison wall while we were at Woodbury. It's one of the things Rick wants to talk with you about. Come on."

When the got outside everyone rushed to greet him. It made him feel good. He had really come to care about these people in the last ten months. It surprised him how much they seemed to care about him.

After all the women had kissed him at least once and the men had all shaken his hand, the group went over to where Michonne was waiting. There was a lot to talk about.

"Here," Rick passed him his crossbow. "How'd you get it back?"

"Andrea. Didn't Merle tell you? She's there in Woodbury. Anyways, after they captured me, Merle went to her for help getting me out. She managed to get the crossbow and then snuck me out through a break in one of the walls. Killed a guard to do it. Merle caught up with me not long after."

"Andrea? She didn't come with you?" Carol asked.

"Nah, said she wanted to stay, but couldn't let me die. Said it wasn't right what happened. She didn't know they were holding Glenn and Maggie."

"Holding!" Maggie blurted out. "About to execute is more like it."

Glenn wrapped his arm around her and murmured something in her ear. She relaxed and smiled back at him. Daryl wondered if that's what he and Stella looked like to others.

"We need to talk about Merle." Rick sighed heavily. It was clear this was not a conversation he was looking forward to. "We need to decide what we should do about him."

Everyone fell silent. It was clear what people were thinking. He was Daryl's brother and he had helped Daryl escape. On the other hand, he beat Glenn and would have killed him and Maggie both.

It was Stella that spoke up. "If Woodbury is coming here, we need to know everything about them. Maggie, you said Merle was one of the ones in charge right?" Maggie nodded. "We need him to tell us about what they have for weapons, how many there are, what type of strategy they'd likely use.. anything he can. I don't think he's going to be inclined to do that from a cell. If he gets out of line, we can always kick him out."

Rick seemed to be considering it. "Daryl, you're sure that they didn't let you go. That this isn't some form of a trap?"

Daryl looked around at everyone. "No way. They were going to shoot me in the town square the next morning. Public execution. I think till then Merle really thought he'd be able to talk the governor out of killing me. Besides the governor was pissed that Merle's little brother was one of the 'terrorists'. He froze Merle out."

Rick turned to his left. "Maggie? Glenn? Need to hear what you have to say."

They looked at each other for a moment then Maggie gave a slight nod. Glenn turned to face the rest of the group. "Let him out. But, I don't want him sleeping near us. He can stay in the cells. He shouldn't have access to anything."

"Alright, that's fair," Rick said. "Daryl and I can let him out after we're done here. We'll make sure he knows what the deal is. Next we have to talk about the other group. I don't know if they want to stay, or if they don't. What I do know is that if something is going to happen with Woodbury, we're going to need all the help we can get. I suggest that we let them stay. Same thing as Merle. They sleep in the cells, don't have access to the guns. They go by our rules and they have to pull their own weight."

The group agreed with Rick pretty quickly. It made sense. Daryl couldn't help but feel a little relieved. With Merle and the other four, it would make them much stronger. He had seen what type of weapons they had at Woodbury. They were going to need all the help they could get.

Glenn and Rick went to lock up the sleeping quarters, and go retrieve the other group. When they came out, it was clear that the four of them hadn't realized how big the group was. When they reached the main group, Rick started to speak again.

"Sorry for keeping you in there for so long, but we've had some things to deal with. We've talked about it and we'd like to invite you to stay. But you need to know some things first. This is our prison. We cleared it out and if it wasn't for my son, you'd have died in there. It's going to be our rules. We've been through a lot stuff together and we trust each other, but we don't know you. You can sleep in the cells, and have access to the yard and the bathrooms, but that's it. You pull your weight around here. If that's not acceptable to you, the gate is right over there. We'll give you some food and you can be on your way."

The big black guy stepped forward. Daryl estimated him to be in him mid thirties, six-four, about two-fifty. The guy was physically impressive.

"Your offer sounds good man. This place is like heaven. We'll do anything to stay."

"Well there's something else that you should know. There's a town a few miles away. We've had a bit of a run in with them. It's entirely possible that they will at some point come to attack us. If that happens, we'll expect you to help defend the prison."

"Hey man, it's going to be our place too. Can't have something like this without someone wanting to take it." He shot a look over his shoulder.

"Well then, welcome." Rick stepped forward and shook his hand. "I'm Rick."

"Tyreese. That's my sister Sasha and that is Allen and his son Ben."

Rick pointed us all out one by one. Daryl couldn't help noticing the look Ben gave Beth. He didn't particularly like it, but he'd see how it went. Until then, he'd let Hershel worry about it.

After all the introductions were made Daryl and Rick headed in to see Merle.

"Merle! Hey Merle!" Daryl called out. "Get your lazy ass out of that bed."

"What? Are they going to let me out of here? Oh I see John Q. Lawman is here. Gonna make me promise to be a good boy?"

Rick shook his head in disbelief. "Would you like us to send you back to Woodbury as a peace offering? Because I have zero problem with that. If you weren't Daryl's brother, I would have put a bullet in your brain the second you showed up here. So, if you want to stay, you better listen. You will tell us whatever you know about this governor, what type of weapons he has, and how many men there are. You're going to tell us anything we ask. If you don't you're going right out those gates. You pull anything, I will shoot you myself. Do you understand?"

Merle clicked his heels together and gave Rick a mock salute. "Oh, yes sir! Whatever you say sir!"

Rick turned and walked away.

"Jesus Merle, you're a real asshole. What'd you expect? Thought they'd bake you a cake?" Daryl asked as he unlocked the cell. "Grab that piss bucket, I'll show you where the bathrooms are."

Merle stepped out of the cell and clapped his hand on Daryl's shoulder. "Well it's you and me again baby brother. Come on, I'm starving."

After showing Merle where the bathroom was, Daryl headed back outside. Just as he stepped out Stella started to rise from her chair. The new arrival, Tyreese, stepped over to help her. Stella laughed at something he said. Daryl looked at Tyreese's hand on her waist and ground his teeth together. He started down toward them.

"Thanks man, I've got her." The look in Daryl's eyes had Tyreese looking from him to Stella with understanding. He quickly dropped his hands.

As soon as Tyreese moved away he looked down at her. "What?" She simply gave him a look. "Why are you getting up anyway? Do you need something?"

"Yeah, to keep my ass from falling asleep. Thought I'd go see if Lori needed help washing the laundry."

Just then Merle wandered up to them. "Well, well, well. Look at what we have here." He gave Stella an appreciative once over. "I'm Merle." He held out his left hand.

Stella shook it. "Stella. It's nice to meet you Merle."

Merle didn't release her hand. Instead he stepped closer. "A northerner huh? Well, if there's anything I can do for you, you just come find me. Be happy to help you out with whatever you need," he said suggestively. Stella pulled her hand from his.

"Back off Merle," Daryl snapped.

Merle looked at Daryl and down to where his hand was wrapped around Stella's waist. "Oh, I see. Baby brother's got himself a classy piece of cooze. No wonder why you wanted to get back here so bad. Sure you don't want to share?" Merle laughed. "No matter. Got to get me something to eat."

Daryl shifted uncomfortably. Stella turned to face him. "So, that's Merle huh? He's a charmer. Don't know how the women aren't swarming around him. Come on, walk me over to Lori."

* * *

He was using the scope on one of the sniper rifles from the armory to look for scouts when Merle came up. Daryl stayed silent. He had an idea of why Merle was there.

Merle strolled around the tower and leaned against one of the windows. "Nice place you got here."

"What do you want Merle?"

"Thinkin' there's going to be a fight here. See no reason to stick around. You and I, we don't need these people. They're dead weight."

Daryl looked at him through the corner of his eye. "I ain't leaving."

"Oh, come on. What you got around here that's worth sticking around for? The governor's gonna come here and you and I are gonna be his number one targets. This place is gonna be wiped out. Might as well take some supplies and head out. We can even take that trim that you seem so fond of."

Daryl spun around. "Stay away from her," he growled.

"Ho ho ho! You know baby brother, I might start to think that you're not happy to see me. First you side with Barney Fife down there and now you're gonna take the side of some piece of ass over your own blood? I'll admit, it's a mighty fine piece of ass. Surprised she lets you dip your wick in her."

"You best shut the fuck up." Daryl fought to control his anger. Fighting with Merle was never a good thing. Even when you won, you lost.

"You know she ain't never gonna care about you. Not really. She may say she does, she may even do things to you that make you think so. But one day, she's gonna cut you free and not think twice about it." Merle put his hand on Daryl's shoulder. "No one's gonna care about you but me baby brother and you know it."

"Screw you. I ain't leaving here. We got a good thing here. Worked hard for it."

Merle put his hands up and backed up. "Fine, fine. Whatever you say."

Daryl turned back, looking out the window. If he hadn't he would have seen the smile that spread across Merle's face.


	23. Chapter 23

I watched him stomp out of the bedroom. This was getting annoying. I couldn't get him to touch me. We hadn't had sex since the night before Daryl left to scope out the hospital. It had been five days since he had gotten back from Woodbury. He was healing well, and my headache was gone and my balance was completely better. There was no reason for it. And it wasn't just the lack of sex. He was back to being grumpy and quiet. I was so frustrated with the situation I wanted to scream.

This morning I had woken up as he was starting to get out of bed. I grabbed him and pulled him back. "Where do you think you're going?" I said and started kissing his neck.

"Stella, I have to get up. I have to go hunting." His voice was impatient.

"In a few minutes," I murmured, my hand slipping under the sheet. I trailed my fingers down his abdomen. He grabbed my wrist and pulled my arm up.

"I said I have to go. Jesus." Daryl jumped out of bed and yanked on his jeans. He didn't even put his shirt or boots on. He just grabbed his stuff and stormed out.

I sighed and laid back on the pillows. I had no idea what changed. The first night after he was back was great. He was so funny about the way he helped me get undressed and then he was so sweet. The next night he was really quiet, and when we got into bed he turned on his side away from me. When I wrapped my arm around him he got really tense. It was had been obvious he didn't want me to touch him.

Well I wasn't just going to sit here. I got up and threw on my clothes. When I was passing by the cell blocks Daryl came out, pulling on his shirt. He paused and we just looked at each other.

"Daryl, we have to talk," I started.

"About what?" He started walking outside.

I followed him. "Well, about what's going on. Something has changed. You barely speak to me, and when you do it's only because you can't avoid it. You won't touch me and you won't let me touch you."

"Well if my baby brother isn't up to the job, I'd be more than happy to help out." Merle said from behind me.

I could have screamed. "Merle, do you mind? Can you just go be somewhere else for a few minutes?" I snapped. Turning back I said, "Daryl, you just have to talk to me. Let me know what you're thinking."

Merle walked around me and ruffled Daryl's hair. "Daryl don't think. Do ya? Come on, we're wasting daylight."

Daryl looked at me with hard eyes. "I have to go." He turned and walked after Merle. I turned around and stoked up the fire. I was utterly confused.

I was just starting to cook breakfast when Allen came out. He rubbed his eyes and sat down hard in one of the chairs. "Want some tea?" I asked. "It's nowhere as good as coffee, but at least it's hot."

"Yeah, that'd be great." Allen watched as I poured some from the kettle.

"How are you settling in? Are you having any problems with anything?"

"No, no. Everyone's been great and I have to say it's the best sleep I've had in a while. It's great not snapping awake with every little noise." Allen took a sip from his mug. "This is really good."

"Thanks, Maggie and Glenn collected the leaves. So I take it you're not planning on trying to take over the prison anymore." I sat down and looked at him.

His face went white. "I.. What?" he tried to put on a look of indignation. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Allen, don't. I was outside the cell block one night when I first got back from Woodbury. I heard you all talking. Took me a while to remember it. I could have said something to Rick, but I didn't. If I had, you would be out of this prison so fast with nothing but the clothes on your back. Fact is, I get it. Nice safe place to hold up, and you don't know us. Of course you would want it for yourself. I just hope that now that you're here and you're staying, you realize that this is the best for everyone. Not everyone out there is a good person. But the people here are. You four would never be able to hold this prison against what's going to come. Just get the thought out of your head, okay?" I stood up and went back to cooking.

Allen cleared his throat. "So you're not going to tell anyone that we were talking about it?"

I looked over at him. "Do I have a reason to?"

He looked ashamed. "No. No you don't."

"Good. Why don't you grab the plates from inside. This is almost done and everyone will be out soon."

* * *

The day was a productive one. The field had been finished the day before and all the seedlings were put in the ground by midday. The last of the preparations in case of an attack from Woodbury were completed. Glenn and Axel had put their car thief skills to good use. They were able to line the whole inside fence with cars.

Rick had explained why he wanted it done. "They won't be able just to ram the fence and break it down. It'll also give us cover if they try to come in through the fields. We've got every door to this section of the prison locked off. I think that's all we can do."

When they parked the last car the guys were all thrilled. Lori and I watched as they all slapped each other on the backs. "What is it with men? Do they not realize they didn't do anything but drive a car?" She asked.

I pulled another sheet off the clothes line. "You are so asking the wrong person. I can't get Daryl to even talk to me these last few days. It's driving me nuts."

"I noticed something was going on with you two. Did something happen?"

"No and that's the problem. Nothing happened. We woke up and he was like he always was, and then by the time we went to bed it was like he couldn't even stand to look at me."

"And he hasn't said anything?" I gave her a look. "Right, never mind. Forgot we were talking about Daryl."

"You know, the more I try, the worse it gets. Any time I try to... you know, he freezes up. This morning, he bolted from the bed like someone had stuck him with a cattle prod."

Lori started to laugh. "I'm sorry. It's not funny. Except it is."

"Shut up Lori." I said smiling.

"Well, it's Daryl. Maybe he just needs some time. He typically takes a real long time to warm up to someone. He's not exactly Mr. Congeniality you know. With you it was different. He was so tuned into you from the start. Maybe he's just having a hard time dealing with everything."

"Yeah, maybe. But that doesn't mean I like it."

Lori stopped folding for a minute and turned to face me. "Stella, you have to understand that Daryl, well he's been different since you got here. There's the obvious things like the fact that he showers every day, but there's little things too. He's more patient and kind. He listens better. You didn't know him before, but you've changed him. And Daryl doesn't like change. You're just going to have to be patient with him.

"Lori, I am trying. I've been so nice, and nothing."

"Well, if trying to be nice to him doesn't work, try something else."

I was thinking over what she had said when Daryl and Merle came back. They had managed to catch a boar.

"Ohh, if someone knows how to get bacon from that thing, I'll do their laundry for the rest of their lives." Lori moaned.

I looked over at her and started to laugh. "Honey, I hate to break it to you, but you're already doing everyone's laundry."

* * *

The day had been hot and it was still warm, so after my shower I decided to put on a pretty sundress. Besides, it wouldn't hurt to show Daryl what he was missing. As I placed the brush on the bookcase I saw the iPod and dock. Acting on a whim I brought it out to the cooking area.

"Thought we could have some music while we make dinner," I said to the other women there. "Sasha, is there anything you like in particular?"

She looked over at the speakers in my hand. "Are you kidding? I haven't heard any music in forever. I'll listen to anything."

"Okay then. Shuffle it is." I hit play and music filled the air.

Cooking had never been so much fun. Between the boar, the different plants Maggie had found, and a can or two from the kitchen supply, we were preparing a feast. Everyone deserved it for working so hard.

After dinner we were just settling in around the fire when 'At Last' by Etta James came on. Rick walked over to Lori and pulled her up. "Think I can have this dance?" he asked as he gave her a twirl. When it was over everyone clapped. The next song was a 80's pop song. Beth sprung up, pulling Maggie with her. And the party began.

I laughed and looked over towards Daryl. He was leaning back staring off into space. I thought about what Lori had said that day and I decided that I was going to ignore him and just have a little fun. I pushed myself up and joined the others.

Many songs later I was dancing with Carol when a salsa song came on. "Oh, I can't dance to this. I have to rest anyway," she said sitting down.

Tyreese, who was sitting next to Carol stood up. "I can salsa. I'm pretty good at it." He held out his hand.

Laughing I placed my hand in his. "Alright, let's see what you got."

Tyreese wasn't kidding. He was an excellent dancer and a strong partner. He had rhythm and imagination. He twirled me, turned me, and dipped me. When the song was over everyone started clapping. "Impressive," I said to him. I was trying to catch my breath.

"You're not too bad yourself. How'd a northern girl like you learn to salsa?"

"Oh God, I don't know. Picked it up a little here and there. Spent a lot of vacations in the Caribbean and Mexico I guess." I was so hot from dancing. "I think I need to go grab some water."

"You know what? I'll come with you."

As we walked over I asked, "What about you? How'd you learn?"

"The same way every self-respecting man does. I took lessons." At my look he continued. "I had just started playing football, and every time we went to Miami we'd go to the salsa clubs. The women there were smokin' hot. Just about all the other guys could dance so, I decided to learn. Didn't want to be the creepy guy standing on the sidelines going duh, duh, duh." Tyreese put his hand in his pocket and bobbed his head up and down.

"So you learned how to dance. Here," I handed him a glass. "Did you get any of the girls?"

"Not for longer than a night," he joked.

As Tyreese and I talked, I saw Daryl slip away and walk towards the guard tower. I wanted to go after him, but if he wanted space, I'd give it to him.

The party began to break up and I headed into bed. I slipped under the covers and tried to get to sleep. But the big open space in the bed kept me up. Finally I gave up. I threw on clothes and headed outside. As I got closer I could see him up by the railing looking out over the fence. I'd had it. We were going to talk.

He must have heard me coming but he was still in the same position when I got to the top. "So what is it?" I demanded.

He turned and looked at me. "What do you mean?" His whole body was stiff. I could tell he was angry about something.

"Don't give me that crap. You know exactly what I'm talking about. You've been a complete ass the last few days. You won't talk to me, won't look at me, forget about even touching me. What is it? I mean you want to get away from me so badly, you didn't even stay for the party."

"Well why the fuck should I stay? So I can watch some guy put his hands all over you? Grind up on you? Sorry baby. That's not my cup of tea," His voice was angry.

I fired right back at him. "What are you taking about? Me dancing with Tyreese? It's a salsa dance, it's supposed to be a little naughty. We weren't sneaking off somewhere. Besides, I didn't see you standing in line to dance with me. Do you realize you hadn't said a single word to me since you left this morning? This is not about how I was dancing."

Daryl began to stalk around the room. "Well maybe it's just not working out for me."

I felt like someone had kicked me in the chest. I couldn't believe he just said that. As I watched him walk around I realized that I just didn't believe _him_. "Then say it. Be a man Daryl, say you don't want to be with me. Say it straight out."

He walked right over to me. "Fine. I don't want to be with you."

"Tell me why."

"What?" He moved away and resumed his pacing.

"Tell me why. At least tell me that. You don't care about me? The sex is no good? Why? It's a simple question Daryl. You should be able to answer it." I became impatient as I waited for him to answer. "Come on Daryl. You shouldn't have to think about what to say."

Daryl remained quiet. I wasn't getting anywhere with this. I ran through all the things I knew about him. There was something. He was so protective, maybe I could use it against him. It might work, but it could also backfire. I decided to push it.

"You know what. Fine. If you don't want me around, if it is so hard to be around me that you can't even have a conversation with me, I'll leave the group." His head swiveled towards me. "I was on my own before. I can do it again. I'll go pack up." I held my breath as I moved to head down the stairs.

"Don't." he said quietly. He sat down heavily on the side of the desk. "Don't leave."

I moved over to stand in front of him. "Then tell me what is going on."

"When everything first happened with us I thought it all really wouldn't matter. That in this world, it wouldn't matter." I started to speak but he stopped me. "When you look at Merle, what do you see?"

"Merle? What does he have anything to do with this?" I was surprised at where this had gone.

"Stella, please."

I looked at him before I answered. "Honestly, you're brother is a real piece of work. He makes me uncomfortable. I don't like him."

"See. Don't you get it Stella? I'm just like Merle. We grew up in the same house, we had the same parents. Merle probably raised me more than my father did." Daryl ran his hand through his hair. "I'm who I am today because of Merle."

I stepped in closer. "Daryl. You are who you are today in spite of Merle, not because of him. You are a really good man Daryl Dixon. You are loyal and kind and unselfish. I wish you saw more of what everyone else sees in you."

"But Merle-" I cut him off.

"Merle doesn't have anything to do with us. I don't have to like your brother to want to be with you. And I do want to be with you. Despite everything that is going on in this world, some of the happiest moments I've had have been here. With you. Now, if you decide that you don't want to be with me because I don't make you happy, then fine. I won't like it, but I'll respect it. Now, I'm heading back in, and if you do want to be with me, I suggest you go clean up and then come climb back into bed with me.

I walked back into our room alone. I pulled my clothes back off and climbed into bed. I waited to hear the sounds of his footsteps outside. Gertie climbed into bed next to me. I petted her head to stay calm. What if he wasn't coming?

Twenty minutes later, the door opened and he walked in. He was carrying all his things and his clothes. He just had a towel wrapped around his hips. He dumped everything in the chair and walked over to the bed. "Move Gertie. That's my spot." I smiled up at him as he pulled off his towel and climbed in next to me.

* * *

Some time later Daryl looked over at me. "Would you really have left?"

I thought about it for a moment before I answered. "If you really didn't want me here, if it hurt you to have me here, I'd leave. But Daryl, you can't just stop talking to me whenever you're upset about something. The last few days I had no idea what was going on. It really upset me."

He sighed looking at the ceiling. "I know. I'm just no good at this."

"Good at what? Being with me?" Daryl nodded. "Honey, when you're not upset about something, you are very good at this." I gave him a kiss. "You just have to figure out how to tell me something's wrong."

"I just get these thoughts in my head and at first it seems stupid to bring it up because it is a stupid thing. But then I just keep blowing it up till it's this thing that I can't let go of."

"Okay, well is there anything else that was bothering you besides Merle?"

Daryl blew out a breath. "I wasn't lying when I said I didn't like watching you dance with him. I thought I was going to punch him. I know it's the way the dance works but I didn't like it. Didn't help to have Merle sitting next to me saying things."

Part of me wanted to ask what Merle said, but I thought better of it. "Do you think you would have gotten so upset if there wasn't something going on already?"

He thought about it for a second. "Probably not," he smiled slightly. "For the most part watching you dance was... enjoyable."

"Oh, you liked that? Well how about this. I won't salsa with anyone else, as long you'll dance with me." Anticipating his answer I began to nibble on his ear.

He let out a light moan. "Don't dance."

"Really?" My mouth moved to his neck. "At all?"

"Nope, never have." His body rolled on top of mine. His mouth pressed against the hollow of my neck.

"But I love to dance, and if you don't want me dancing with some else, that means you're going to have to do it."

"You can dance with Hershel," His mouth moved to my breast, drawing my nipple into his mouth.

"Daryl, Hershel only has one leg."

"I know" he said as he moved to my stomach. "That's why it's perfect. Won't get too randy."

I began to laugh but stopped as his mouth found that sensitive spot right by the hipbone. I put the conversation on hold as he lowered his head between my thighs. His tongue tasting and exploring. I moaned. My hands threaded into his hair, pressing him closer. As small cry escaped my lips as I came.

Daryl slid up my body and his mouth came down on mine. I could taste myself on his lips. I wrapped my legs around his hips as he entered me slowly. "God you feel so good," He murmured in my ear. He set an easy rhythm, his mouth covering mine. His hand slid down my side and gripping my thigh he hitched my leg up higher on his hip. My body arched as he pressed deeper. He moaned, his breath hot in my ear and I rode the waves all the way till the finish.

He stayed where he was for a moment. "Stella? You can dance with anyone as long as you promise you'll be here with me at the end of the night." he kissed me lightly on the neck.

I moved so I could see his face. "I promise." He pressed his lips against my temple then rolled over, pulling me with him so I was pressed up against his side. I laid there for a moment then propped myself up so I could see him.

I looked down into his blue eyes and smiled. His answering smile was reassurance. "Daryl Dixon, I do believe you've made me fall in love with you, and in record time too." Ignoring his shocked expression I brushed my lips against his, then laid my head back down on his shoulder. I didn't want or need him to say it back. I knew he wasn't ready to. Fact was, I didn't know if he ever would be. But I was. And I needed him to hear it. He wasn't going to be getting rid of me so easily.


	24. Chapter 24

When Daryl woke up the next morning he looked over at Stella. She looked so beautiful sleeping there. She had said that she loved him last night. Daryl didn't think that anyone had ever told him that they loved him before. Maybe his mother had, but he didn't remember. He had no idea what to do about it. At least she hadn't looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to say it back. But did he love her? Daryl didn't know. What the fuck was love anyway? How could she even love him?

He had been such an ass the last few days. When he introduced her to Merle, he had seen the look on her face. 'Course Merle had just called her a cooze. Even Daryl had to admit that he had wanted to smack Merle for that one. Still, it had just brought back the fears he had about not being good enough for her. That she might look at him the way she had looked at Merle one day. And then Merle, everything he had said. For the last few days all Daryl had heard from him was how she was going to get tired of him, how he wasn't good enough for her.

Every time Daryl looked at Stella or she touched him, it hurt. He had started just waiting for her to tell him it was over. Looking over at her now, Daryl couldn't even believe how stupid he had acted. Being with her was the best thing in this world. But he had no idea what to do about what she said.

Daryl snuck out from under her arm and slid out of bed. He headed outside to grab some breakfast. He was surprised to see Rick outside so early. "What'cha doing out here already?"

Rick was looking at the line of cars surrounding the fences. "Merle said there'd be no way the governor would attack right away, and he was right. But are we putting to much faith in the fact that they wouldn't come in the dead of night like he said?"

Daryl looked across the field. "Maybe. We have mattresses up in the towers. We could start posting people in there. We could do two at a time, one to sleep one to keep watch. Only thing is that tired people aren't going to do as well in a fight. There's no good answer here."

Rick sighed heavily. "There's something else. Hershel said that we're going to have to make that run to the hospital. Between Stella and Glenn, we're pretty much out of pain killers. And we're real low on antibiotics. I'm tempted to put it off. Don't want to leave the prison so unprotected, but Hershel's right. If there is a fight, we'll lose more people if we can't treat them."

Rick put his hand on his hip and looked around the yard. "I doubt Woodbury has people posted here all night. If we go first thing, even if they came this afternoon to attack this evening, they probably wouldn't realize most of us were gone. Every day we wait, the more likely either someone clears out the hospital before us, or Woodbury comes."

"Jesus, we just can't catch a break can we?" Rick was right, to go to the hospital, to get as much stuff as they could, they'd have to take most everyone that could fight. They'd be vulnerable. "If we're gonna do it, let's get it done."

Breakfast was eaten and put away, the group that was going to the hospital clustered around Rick. "Axel, you and Carol take one of the cars and when we're all in position, drive down the driveway honking. That'll draw them all out. There's a circular drive so you won't get cornered. Should clear a path for us to get to this entrance here." Rick pointed to the sketch he had made earlier. "Once we're in the hospital Daryl, Stella, and myself will keep moving and getting doors open. Stella will mark what to pack. Glenn, Maggie, Tyreese, and Michonne you guys will pack up. Daryl, you and Tyreese are going to be muscle only. The rest of us will carry what we need." Rick looked around at everyone.

"I want everyone heavily armed in case we run into people from Woodbury. Otherwise silent weapons only. Alright, get what you need and get back here."

They all stepped over to get weapons and ammunition. Daryl grabbed Stella's arm. "Come with me." He tugged her away from everyone.

"Daryl, don't start with this. You know I have to go. No one else even knows what half of this stuff looks like." Stella's voice was filled with exasperation. "We can't keep having the same old argument."

Daryl smiled. "I'm not having an argument. I'm listening to you yell at me. I know you have to go. I just have a present for you." He reached into his backpack and pulled out five new arrows. "I noticed you were running a little low. We may not be able to retrieve ours today, so I thought this might be a good time to give them to you."

Stella ran her fingertips down the smooth wood. "How did you do this? When?"

Daryl cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Well I had to do something the last few days."

Stella grabbed him and kissed him hard. He pressed his hands against the small of her back to hold her tight.

"Hey!" Merle called out. "Anytime you two are done playing footsie over there..."

Reluctantly Daryl pulled away. "Stay close alright?"

"I will." Stella tucked the arrows in her quiver and headed over to one of the waiting cars.

"Don't freak out," Daryl said to himself. After Woodbury it was hard knowing she'd be going someplace dangerous. Of course he didn't want her here either. Daryl was just going to make sure she didn't go more than five feet from him.

When Stella passed Merle, he reached out and grabbed her left wrist. "You know, baby brother over there learned all his tricks from me. If you ever want to learn from the master..."

Just as Daryl started forward, Stella's fist shot out catching Merle in the jaw. He staggered back a few steps. "You want to keep that other hand? You'll keep it off of me. I mean it Merle." Stella pivoted and climbed in the car.

"Jesus. Bitch can't even take a joke. You need to teach her some manners." Merle said to Daryl indignantly.

Daryl looked Merle up and down. "No Merle, I don't. Touch her again and I'll hold you down for her."

Daryl climbed in the car and sat down next to Stella. She was massaging her hand. Daryl gently picked it up and brushed his lips against it. "Next time, put your weight behind it."

Stella's laugh rang through the car as they drove out of the gate.

* * *

Everyone's spirits were high as they drove back into the prison yard. They had gotten everything they wanted and more. It was a good thing they had taken all three cars.

Stella was like a kid in the candy store. "Hershel! You won't believe what we got. She started listing off various things whose names had too many syllables to count. "Oh! And look at this!" Stella started digging through everything until she found the bag she was looking for.

She pulled out a portable ultrasound machine. "It still works, it has a battery backup. And we can plug it in to the outlets in the Range Rover to charge it!" Daryl left her fawning over the supplies and walked over to where Rick was standing with Lori.

Daryl smiled down at the baby in Lori's arms. He reached out and tickled her cheek. He had to say, he had never really liked babies, they cried and smelled, but this one was pretty damn cute.

"I see you guys made out like bandits. How on earth did you manage to carry all that stuff?" Lori was looking at the items being pulled from the cars.

"Turns out you're husband's good for something. Thought to use the stretchers. Stella loaded 'em up till we could barely pick 'em up."

"That's my man, always using his head." Lori kissed Rick. She was moving away when Rick pulled her back in for second longer kiss.

Daryl gave them a moment, but when it looked like they weren't coming up for air anytime soon, he walked away to help unload.

* * *

He set the last box down on the table. Stella and Hershel were organizing everything on the shelves. They had gotten so much stuff they were having a hard time trying to decide where to put it. "Gonna be here a while?"

Stella looked up from the box she was unpacking. "Looks like. Got to get this all put away. I wish I had thought to grab some books though."

Daryl shook his head. "How do you think you were gonna get them out? You already had all of us loaded like pack mules. I'm surprised Maggie could even stand up." Hershel chuckled from the corner of the room where he was spreading various vials of medication out.

Stella shot him a dirty look. "Hey, I was just trying to make sure we didn't have to make another trip. Look at everything we got." Her eyes scanned the room and a smile lit up her face."

"Stella? You think we should organize this by class or alphabetical?" Hershel asked indicating the medication before him.

"Alphabetical I think. That way anyone will know where to get it if we ask."

Daryl looked down indulgently at her. She was so happy with the results of the excursion to the hospital. He could see there was no way he'd be able to pry her away from this.

Giving up on the idea of some time alone he said, "I'm gonna be in the tower, see you at dinner?" Stella nodded absent-mindedly. She was already digging back through the boxes.

Later, laying in bed he listened as Stella began outlining the plans that she and Hershel had come up with for the infirmary. "We want to install some hooks on the ceiling for the lanterns for better light. Also, if we can make some smaller tables, we should have enough room for two beds. Axel said there's a food cart in the kitchen that we can bring in to use as an instrument table. Oh, and did I tell you? He said that he thinks he can maybe get the generator going again. He checked it out this afternoon. If he can, then Hershel thinks we could bring in some basic blood work equipment, a microscope. If someone's sick we could at least run some tests. I mean, it would still all be really rudimentary, but it would be something." Her excitement over having the equipment was evident, and although Daryl didn't understand half of what she was saying when she started going over the different supplies, he found that he was content listening to her.

* * *

The next day it rained heavily. The only person that was excited about it was Hershel, who had been concerned about the lack of water for the crops. Everyone stayed inside working on projects. Daryl began sketching out a design for a smokehouse while Stella worked on a quilt. They sat across from each other in their room. Stella in one of the office chairs, while Daryl sat in the old chair from the guard tower. When he had first brought it in this morning Stella had protested.

"What are you doing bringing that ratty old thing in here?" She asked looking at the utilitarian, dirty, grey chair.

"It's a good chair," was Daryl's reply. He couldn't bring himself to admit that he wanted it for sentimental reasons.

She put her hands on her hips and gave him a stern look. "It's ugly and probably not that comfortable. There's plenty of descent chairs back in the basketball court, go pick one of those out."

He pushed his wet hair back from his face. "I like this chair. This is the chair I want." When she opened her mouth to argue Daryl cut her off. "Doesn't the guy always get to pick out his own chair?"

Stella gave him an exasperated look. "Yeah, after the woman's approved it. Besides it's usually not some gross old ugly thing that has about an inch of God know's what on it." She sniffed the air. "Jesus Daryl, it even smells bad."

Daryl looked down at the chair with its stains all over the seat and then over at Stella. "Maybe you should come try it out? You just have to sit in it for a few minutes, I'm sure you'll like it." He moved towards her.

She quickly back peddled until she was up against the wall. "Oh no, I'm not touching that thing. I want it out. I mean it Daryl. It's gross."

Daryl continued to advance slowly. Stella held up her hands to ward him off. "Don't you dare," she warned him. Suddenly his hand shot out, grabbing her wrist and he yanked her into his arms. She let out a little shriek of surprise.

Instead of depositing her on the chair, he tossed her onto the mattress and followed her down quickly. The chair stayed. Even though Daryl did have to clean it himself.

* * *

When the sun came out the next morning Daryl rose early to hunt. With everything that had been going on lately he missed the solitude.

Stella walked him down to the gate. "Stay close alright?" She smoothed out the strap on his crossbow. Then she started fiddling with the collar on his shirt.

He looked down at her. "I'll be back before noon, I won't go far." He could tell she didn't like him going out alone. "I just have to check the snares me and Merle set the other day."

"Noon? Alright. I love you. Stay safe." She held him tight for a moment before walking back up the hill.

Daryl turned and walked out the gate. He still felt the jolt every time she said that. It made him feel as though he couldn't catch his breath.

Daryl was headed back the prison from hunting he came across some sets of footprints. The ground in the area was trampled, the rain from yesterday leaving the ground soft. It looked as if someone had been walking back and forth. He blew out a breath. It was beginning, Woodbury was going to be coming.

After scanning the area surrounding the prison carefully, he made a run for the gate. Quickly he dropped the small game he had caught at the cooking area and headed down to where Rick and Carl were talking by the fields.

"Are you sure?" Rick was asking.

Carl nodded. "Beth saw it too. At least two, over by the tree line there."

Rick looked over at Daryl. "Scouts. Did you catch anything?"

"Enough for a day, maybe two if we stretch it."

Rick looked disappointed. "Well, we can finish off the rest of the boar tonight, and Maggie and Glenn were able to scavenge some things. Between that and what's left in the kitchen we'll be alright for maybe a week. I don't want anyone going out hunting till this is done."

"Saw another set of prints over there," he indicated the area with his eyes. Didn't want to give away the fact that they knew people were out there.

"They'll be coming soon, tonight, maybe tomorrow. I think we should have everyone sleep in the cells tonight."

"Should see if we can get people to volunteer to be lookouts. Maybe figure out a way to stash some guns in the guard towers. Everyone's clear on what area they should be covering when it starts?"

Rick looked down at his feet. "Yeah, there's just one thing that's changed. Stella's not going to be in the infirmary. She came to me a few days ago and we talked about it. Hershel and Beth will be down there and if it gets to the point where more help is needed, it means we've already lost. She's too good of a shot. I moved her over to the guard tower with Carol. She's going to take one of the sniper rifles."

Daryl ground his teeth. He supposed he should have seen this coming. Fool woman couldn't help but put herself in danger. His nostrils flared as he sucked in air. "Put her with me."

Rick shook his head. "I can't Daryl. You've got to stay with Merle. You're the only one I trust Merle not to knife in the back. Otherwise I'll have to stick him in a cell till it's over and we really need the man power."

Daryl began to pace. The tension coming off of him was palpable.

"I know how you feel Daryl. Lori's going to be out there to. Do you remember what you said to me the day T-Dog died? You said that a man that's distracted is a man that's going make mistakes. Get himself killed. You're going to have to find a way to put it out of your head."

"Fuck!" Daryl exploded. Carl took a step back, startled. Daryl didn't know what to do. Then the realization hit him. There was nothing he could do about it. Except one thing. He stomped away to go find her.

He finally found her in the bathroom scrubbing the showers. As he entered she looked up. As soon as she saw him she sighed and throwing down her cleaning brush took off her gloves. "You talked to Rick."

Without saying a word he grabbed her and dragged her back to their room. As soon as she was in he slammed the door shut. She stood there silently waiting.

Finally Daryl turned to her. "You will wear every weapon and every piece of equipment that I tell you. You will keep your head down. And if I tell you to run, you're going to haul ass out of here. You will not wait for anyone, you will not go back for anyone, not even Gertie. You will go straight to the marsh and wait for me there. If I'm not there within a day, you will leave. You will not come back to the prison." He was breathing heavily.

"Okay," she said softly.

Daryl nodded, his jaw still tight. "There's tracks around the prison. They'll be coming." Daryl started digging through her clothes. "I have a feeling it'll be tonight, but who knows." He pulled out dark jeans and a black shirt. He tossed them to her. "Put on your hiking boots. Gonna find you another knife," He started rummaging through his collection. He was looking for one that she could wear on her leg. When he found one that would work he turned. And stopped dead in his tracks.

She had gotten undressed, all the way undressed. "If they're coming tonight, I can think of something I'd rather do than talk about weapons." She closed the gap between them.

When they returned it was apparent that Rick had told everyone that there had been scouts in the area. Everyone was quiet, working on various tasks.

Daryl and Stella paused at the door to the yard. They looked out at everyone clustered in various groups. Daryl squeezed her hand gently. "We're not all going to come through this, are we?" she asked.

Daryl pressed his lips together. "I hope we all will. I just don't know. We've done everything we could." The people in the yard had become like his family, he had even begun to respect most of the new arrivals, Michonne and Tyreese in particular.

"You know," Stella said, "I think that if we do make it through this, some things may be changing around here."

Daryl looked at her sharply. "What do you mean?"

Stella laughed, "Daryl, if you're not observant enough to notice, I'm not going to tell you."

She started down towards where some of the other women had started prepping for dinner. Daryl trailed after her. "Stella! Come on!" She simply smiled over her shoulder at him.

* * *

**Last night I couldn't sleep. I wrote three new chapters. I posted one already, and was going to hold on to the this chapter and the next in case there was a day I couldn't write. But I decided that I'd rather share them with you guys now. I still have to go over the next chapter, do a quick edit. I will say that I reread a couple of chapters yesterday and I have to apologize for my poor editing. I do try. Honestly. **


	25. Chapter 25

**So I've posted a total of three chapters today. Plus two yesterday. If this doesn't make sense to you right away, you probably skipped a chapter. Just wanted to make sure you don't miss out on anything. **

* * *

During dinner Rick went over everything again. "Daryl, Stella, you two sneak away after dinner to the south tower. Make it look like you two are wanting some alone time." Rick looked at us dryly. "I'm sure you two can manage that. Bring a blanket and hide your weapons in it. Maggie, Glenn you two do the same a little bit later. You two go to the north tower. The rest of us will be in the cell blocks, except Beth and Hershel. They'll be in the infirmary with Judith."

I couldn't help but notice Lori hug the baby tight. I couldn't even imagine what she must be feeling. To have to leave her baby, her husband and son going to both be in the line of fire.

"Those of us in the cell blocks will take turns keeping watch as well. If something happens, Daryl and Glenn will come down from the towers. Carol will join Stella and Lori will join Maggie. Daryl, Merle, Allen, Tyreese, Axel, Michonne and myself will be behind the cars on the ground. Carl and Ben will protect the doors and run out ammo as needed. Sasha, you head up to the roof, let us know if you see them trying to get in a different way."

Beth spoke up. "Are we sure the way they all got in is closed off?" Beth nodded to Tyreese's group.

"Oh yeah, sugar cake. 'Ole Merle even left them a nice surprise." Merle laughed.

I rolled my eyes.

Daryl explained. "There's a large open room that they came in from. All the doors are locked except one. If they take the bait, they'll walk down a corridor and right into a room full of walkers. Merle figured out how to get them in there and shut the door behind them."

"Any more questions?" Rick asked. There was a chorus of no's. "Alright, everyone just remember, try to act as normal as possible."

I took a deep breath. Easier said than done. Well time to get the show on the road. I got up to take everyone's dishes. Daryl was going to follow me in a few minutes later. As soon as I was inside I dumped the dishes and went to get everything together. I was in one of the supply rooms stuffing magazines any place they would fit when Daryl came in silently behind me. He quickly broke down the sniper rifle to fit into a pillowcase. A second pillow carried my bow and arrows. Daryl swung his crossbow on his back then picked up two automatics. He positioned the blanket to cover them. "Ready?" he asked.

"Just a minute." I turned and went to our room. Gertie trotted in behind me. I sat down on the edge of the bed and called her over. She sat down in front of me. I started petting the top of her head. "Alright sweetie. You're going to stay in here. I brought you a nice bone to chew on. No eating it on the bed. You be good and Beth will come let you out in a little bit." I kissed her wet nose and quickly walked out of the room and shut the door. It was so hard to leave her.

Daryl pulled me tight and gave me a hug. "It's better that she's here. It'll be to dangerous for her out there." He was right. It was the safest place for her. That was, unless we didn't win.

"I know. Beth and Hershel will take good care of her." I took the pillows from him. "Let's go." We walked back towards the yard. Just before we stepped outside I stopped him. "Wait. We're supposed to be heading out for some nookie, and we look like we're going to the dentist to get our teeth pulled."

Daryl looked me up and down then reached over and pulled the pins out of my hair. Running one of the strands through his fingers he said, "Well technically we don't have to start keeping watch till everyone else goes to bed. We could put on a good show. In fact I think it's our duty, to distract whoever's out there."

I started laughing. "Sometimes I wonder about you Daryl Dixon."

"Yeah, sometimes I do too." He kissed me till my head started to swim then pushed the door open.

* * *

Sometime later I woke. Daryl was moving across the room, he noticed as I lifted my head. "Sorry didn't mean to wake you."

"Don't be silly. What time is it?" I sat up and stretched to get the kinks out of my back.

"Probably a little after midnight." Daryl leaned against the desk. "Wish I could figure out a way to really get a good look out there. I don't want to use the scope in case they see it. Every time I look over I feel like I'm staring."

I pushed myself up. "I think I can probably help you out with that. " I undid the laces on my boots and pushed my pants down.

"Stella? What are you doing?" Daryl asked shocked.

I looked at him. "I'm getting us out on the balcony. Just give me a minute then come join me. Keep your pants on, but get rid of that shirt and your shoes. Most men don't hop out of bed fully dressed." I pulled the elastic out of my hair and shook it out.

I leaned against the balcony railing, looking out over the fields. Daryl's hands slid around my waist a few minutes later. "I have to give it to you, I would never have thought to do this," he said quietly.

I laughed lightly. "Daryl, you were the one who suggested we put on a show." I twisted to face him, repositioning us so that he was now looking at the tree line. I slid my arms around his neck.

"I did, didn't I? Well I suppose we should make it good." His lips caressed my neck, his hands travelling over my body.

"Not too good of a show, I'm not that type of girl," I said. It was so hard to protest. Someone had better be out there.

He pulled back and his eyes scanned the tree line behind me. "Lets go in, but do it slowly."

So there was someone there. I let my hands trail down his chest. Then I clasped his hand. He gave me a reassuring squeeze and I slowly lead us back in to the tower.

"So?" I asked as I was laying on the bed pulling my pants back up. I quickly shoved my feet back in my boots and started doing up the laces.

"They're definitely out there. Saw movement all along the tree line." He yanked his shirt over his head. "Here, put these on." He passed me the knives, then moved to grab the guns off the desk. "They'll be coming soon. They think we're going to be busy for a while." He started checking all the guns, switching off the safety's.

I fought to keep all the fear in check. I had known that this would happen, but now that it actually was happening, the whole thing could only be described as surreal. I let out a deep breath.

"Pick out a target but wait for me to fire first. As soon as Carol's here I'll head down. Use the sniper rifle till they're closer than switch to the automatic. Try to keep them pinned down as much as possible." I listened as I watched him shove the magazines in his pockets.

He looked up at me. "Don't take any chances, keep your head down. Alright?" He kissed me. It was gentle and tender. It promised things to come.

When he pulled back I touched his face softly. "Don't you take chance either. I love you. I'd like to see you when this is all done." Staying low I climbed on top of the desk. We had already moved it close to a broken window. I set the stand on the sniper rifle and pulled it in tight. I switched the scope to night vision and scanned.

"How many do you see?" Daryl asked.

Too many I thought. "Twenty, maybe twenty-five. There could be more I can't see."

"See if there's anyone that seems to be in the center of a group. That's probably someone in charge. Keep him in your sights. We're not going to fire until they start across the clearing." I kept scanning till I found someone that looked like they were giving orders. I tried not to look at his face. And then we waited.

Five minutes later it happened. They started across the clearing. "They're coming," I said softly. Daryl moved to the window next to me.

"Ready?"

"Yeah," my finger moving inside the trigger guard. I took a deep breath. Here we go.

Daryl stood and fired. I pulled the trigger and watched the man in my scope fall. Reloading quickly I aimed again. Gunfire erupted from the other tower. I could hear yelling from back in the prison.

It didn't take the advancing men long to realize where we were. Bullets tore into the ceiling above us, the glass that was still intact in some of the windows shattered. Daryl ducked down behind the concrete walls.

I scanned again, finding someone firing at us I put a bullet into his chest. "Maybe they'll turn into walkers and take each other out. Never thought I'd wish to see more walkers." Especially not after we had all but cleared the area surrounding the prison.

Just then Carol arrived. She moved over to were Daryl was. "Short controlled bursts Carol. Don't let them move forward." Then he was gone, running down the stairs.

Carol began firing out the window. A minute later I heard her say, "Oh no," I pulled my head up. There was a line of trucks, looked like military vehicles. They spread out in front of the advancing men. They rolled forward slowly, giving the men cover.

"Aim for the drivers!" I yelled over at Carol. I took aim, but it was hard. I couldn't see past the reflection of the glass. Suddenly the room exploded with noise. Carol yanked me off the desk and we laid on the floor covering our heads. "What the hell was that?"

Carol looked over. "I don't know what you call it, but it was big fucking gun." Another barrage began again. "We can't stay in here!"

She was right, but we couldn't leave either. We had the best line of sight. "Stay here!" I threw the quiver with my bow in it over my head. If I had to get out of here quickly I wasn't leaving it behind. I crawled over to the balcony door and slipped outside. As soon as I got around the corner I could see what Carol was talking about. I had watched enough war movies to know a .50 caliber gun when I saw one. It was firing rapidly at the tower were Lori and Maggie were. I laid out, ignoring the pain as various weapons and equipment dug into my body. I squeezed the trigger. It bounced off the steel of the truck. I reloaded and set myself up again. Apparently he realized he was being shot at because he was swinging back around at us. He opened fire a second before I pulled the trigger. His body dropped back inside the vehicle. I hurried back inside.

Carol was already up again, spraying the windows of the car. I tossed the sniper rifle aside and grabbed the other automatic that Daryl and I had brought up earlier. We managed to get two of the drivers before they reached the fence.

"Come on Stella! We've got to go! Can't do anything else here." Carol began tugging on my arm.

She was right. We had lost our line of sight. In order to fire we'd have to stand on the balcony. We'd be too exposed. I grabbed everything I could carry and followed her down the stairs and out into the yard.


	26. Chapter 26

**Hope you guys like this! It was a lot of fun to write. **

* * *

Daryl bolted from the tower door. He could see Merle, Rick and Michonne spreading out along the fence line. The others were still streaming out from the prison. "Here and here!" Daryl shouted to Rick, pointing where the biggest concentrations of men were.

He ran across the yard and dove behind a car just as a storm of bullets rained into the side of it. Merle laughed. "Careful baby brother, they almost made swiss cheese out of your ass."

Daryl looked over at Merle. He was definitely enjoying this. Merle had always liked a fight, even if there wasn't a good reason for it. Merle popped up, whooping as he fired his gun.

Daryl turned and fired at the oncoming forces. Jesus there was a lot of them. More than Stella had seen. The rumble of the trucks had Daryl turning his head. "Fuck!" They couldn't let them get into position. "Rick! Rick!" he called trying to get his attention.

Finally Axel saw him and rapped Rick on the shoulder. "Trucks! Take out the trucks!" Everyone on the fence started firing at the trucks. They didn't do any damage, the trucks had some sort of light armor. The men that had been advancing towards the fence ducked down behind them. Over the commotion he heard the distinctive crack of the sniper riffle. Then there was something else.

He glanced over at the tower just as the sound of a large caliber gun tore through the air. He saw concrete fly off the side of the building. "Jesus!" he turned to fire but didn't have a shot. "Come on, we got to get down the line. Can't take these assholes out head on." he shouted at Merle.

He followed Merle down the line of parked cars, turning occasionally to fire. When they got about half way down the line they stopped. They took cover and started shooting again. They were able to wing some of the men behind the trucks, but they still couldn't get to the guy with the .50 cal. He was protected by steel plates on either side.

"They're getting busted up something bad up there. Whatcha wana do 'bout that?" Merle asked.

"Why the fuck you asking me? Weren't you the one in the army? Didn't they teach you nothing?" Just then Daryl caught movement in the south tower out of the corner of his eye.

The door to the balcony pushed open. Daryl watched as she slithered out on her belly. "That's right, stay low.." he could feel himself holding his breath. A spray of bullets hit next to him pulling his attention away from Stella.

"Draw their attention, Stella's going for the shot." He and Merle fired at the troops behind the truck. He heard the crack of her rifle, then a minute later there was a short burst from the large gun. He glanced up to see her run back inside. Looking back he could see that the gun was now unmanned. A spray of gunfire from the tower crashed through the windshield and the truck rolled down the hill and tipped over in a ditch.

Merle took the opportunity to take out four of the men left stranded in the open. "Gotta say something 'bout your ol' lady. She sure don't take any shit from anyone."

Daryl burst out laughing. "You're telling me." He couldn't believe that he was laughing in the midst of this.

Daryl replaced the magazine in his rifle. "Come on, let's move."

They repositioned themselves closer to the oncoming vehicles. They were never going to be able to stop them from reaching the fences. He saw walkers come out of the woods, drawn by the side of gunfire. Men in the back turned to take them out. Something Stella said to him before popped into his head. "Stay here. I'll be right back."

As he ran down the line he heard Merle yell out behind him, "Don't be gone too long, you'll miss out on all the fun."

Daryl ran down till he found who he was looking for. He explained what he wanted to do, asked if it would work. He was a little disappointed in the answer. "Don't know, take a few minutes to get there at any rate. A few more to get it done."

"Well run, we don't have much time." Daryl turned and sprinted back towards Merle.

"Had to drop off your laundry did you? Well I hope you got yourself a fresh pair of panties. This is about to get real."

Daryl turned to look. Most of the vehicles had almost made it to the fence. Men were pouring out to try to cut through. They didn't have enough men to cover all the weak spots. They were going to make it through the fence. Unless it worked. They just needed maybe 15 minutes.

He saw Tyreese fly by, back to the prison, a body thrown over his massive shoulders. He went by too fast for Daryl to see who it was.

"Daryl!" Rick yelled out. "Farther down!" Daryl looked all the way down the fence. There was a group that was taking advantage of the main fight to try to sneak in. Sasha was gesturing wildly from the roof.

"You gonna sit here all day?" Merle took off down the line. As they were running Daryl saw one of the men take aim at Sasha. She tumbled off the roof and hit the ground. Even though he was too far away, Daryl could feel the thud she made in his bones.

Just then the prison sirens went off. Axel had made it. "Jesus Christ! What the fuck is that?" Merle shouted over the noise.

"Had Axel turn on the sirens. Gotta draw more walkers in. Gunshots echo too much," he shouted back. "Please let it work," Daryl thought to himself.

They were almost through the fence. Daryl opened fire although he was too far away to be accurate. He needed to slow them down.

Merle charged ahead. He was almost there when he dropped to the ground. Daryl wanted to stop, but the first man was climbing through the fence already. Daryl fired and the man fell forward, foot still caught in the gap.

The others quickly fired rapidly at Daryl, forcing him to duck in between two cars. He went to fire and felt the click of an empty magazine. The other three were able to shimmy their way through the gap before he could reload.

The only good thing was they were terrible marksmen. One in particular seemed to not even be trying. Still, they could get lucky. Daryl was patient and waited until one showed himself a little too much. The bullet hit right between the eyes. He heard another gunshot and then a second man fell out from behind the car. A voice yelled out, "Don't shoot, I'm coming out."

The figure behind the car stood. It was Andrea. "What the fuck? What are you doing here?" Daryl kept his weapon raised.

"Couldn't sit by while they attacked. Figured once I got in I'd give you a hand. Took out that one. Look, I may have liked Woodbury, but you guys..." Andrea cleared her throat. "I can't stand back and let them tell lies about you. Try to kill you."

Daryl looked at her for a moment then lowered his weapon. "Merle's been shot. Gotta check him out." He hurried back to where his brother lay. He turned his brother over. Blood was coming from his chest. Andrea pushed him aside.

She reached into her backpack and pulled out some bandages. "Go. I got him." She pressed down hard on the wound.

Daryl looked back at the others still spread out along the fence. Waving over at the prison he yelled, "Ben! Ben!" When he knew the boy saw him, he turned back to Andrea. "As soon as he gets here, have him bring him to Hershel. You watch that hole you just made in the fence, see if you can patch it up with something." Daryl stripped his brother of his ammunition then turned and sprinted back down to the main section of the fight.

He ducked behind a van that had a particularly good angle. He started firing at a group that had just begun cutting through. Bullets pinged off the van and a ricochet sliced across his forehead, sending blood streaming into his eyes.

"Fuck!" He couldn't see. Hastily he wiped the blood away, trying to clear his vision. He fired in the direction of the fence and hoped like hell he didn't hit one of his own. When he didn't get any returning gunfire he took the time to tear a section of his shirt off to bind the wound with.

He looked back over at the gate. They were gone. His eyes skimmed down the fence and saw why. They had managed to come through further down. Michonne had her sword out and was swinging rapidly at the on slot of men. Further down at another hole he saw Stella toss the sniper rifle down, and pull out a handgun. She must be out of ammunition. Everyone was just about out. A man stepped through the break in the fence in front of her, and she took him down. But the man behind charged, tackling her to the ground. Daryl took off like a shot. Just as he was about to reach her, the man rolled off her. She had the knife from her leg in her hand and she had sliced right through the attacker's abdomen. Daryl yanked her to her feet and pulled her behind him.

Suddenly yells from the other side of the fence rang out. A small herd of about fifty to sixty walkers stepped out of the woods. The men still on the other side of the fence tried to climb back in their vehicles. Two trucks were able to take off, the others were over run.

"Someone go turn that siren off!" Daryl yelled. Axel looked over from where he was standing and signaled that he'd go. Glenn rushed forward with some cable to tie up the openings in the fence.

Daryl looked down at Stella. She looked awful, and never more beautiful. She had smears of blood all over her face and a cut at her hairline where she must have gotten grazed. Her hands came up to move his makeshift bandage out of the way so she could see.

Just then Ben came running over. "Stella! Hershel needs help, he told me to get you the minute it was over!"

She looked back at him. Daryl kissed her hard. Of course she needed to go. Without ever saying a word to each other she ran back up the hill to the prison.

Daryl watched her go and then headed over to help spread the walkers out along the fence line, and to shoot the men that had been killed in the attack. Didn't want them getting up and walking away with all those guns and ammunition.

He joined the others waiting to hear. Sasha and Allen were dead. Maggie had been shot in the shoulder. Stella passed her by easily. Carl had taken a bullet in the leg. He had been bleeding pretty badly. Stella had Lori putting pressure on the wound. Any other time, it would be first priority, but not today.

Today both Carol and Merle were the priorities. Beth was helping Hershel work on Merle while Andrea assisted Stella while she operated on Carol. Michonne was in there watching both patients and getting things as asked.

Daryl walked over to where Tyreese was sitting. "I'm real sorry about your sister."

Tyreese looked up sharply. "You saw her?" Daryl nodded sadly. He could picture Sasha as she tumbled to the ground.

"It was fast? She didn't suffer?" Tyreese managed to choke out.

"Very fast. She wouldn't have even known it happened." Daryl answered.

Tyreese looked at Daryl and stood up. Daryl didn't know what to expect. Was Tyreese angry that Daryl hadn't been able to save Sasha?

"Thanks man, I was afraid she... Anyways, thanks. You're a good man. I'm proud to know ya." Tyreese held out his hand.

Daryl clasped it firmly. "So are you."

Rick came over from where he had been standing next to Lori. "Jesus, how many was that? They must have thrown everything they had at us. That had to be just about the entire male population of the town."

"Probably, plus some women thrown in. I'd say it was between forty to forty-five at any rate. Didn't see the governor though. Maybe he doesn't like to get his hands dirty."

"Have you seen Ben?" Rick asked. "Took the news of his father's death pretty hard. Wanted to see how's he doing."

"Yeah, he's out in the cell block, up on the second floor. He's pretty upset." Fact was, Ben seemed a little unhinged. "Why don't I come with you?"

"Nah, he'll be alright. Don't worry though. I'll collect the guns and ammo from him. Tell him we're doing inventory or something. Come get me if anything changes." Rick headed off.

Daryl sank down to the ground. He laid his hands on his knees and put his head back. He was still processing everything that happened. Gertie came over and none to gently pushed her way under his arms to sit half in between his legs and half on his lap. She settled her head on his shoulder. He ran his hand down her body absent-mindedly. He found that petting her helped him focus on the good things. They had repelled Woodbury, and Stella was safe. They had lost minimal people and Andrea was back. They had hospital supplies which might let them save both Carol and Merle. They had two people with medical experience. Those were all good things.

He was still sitting there when Andrea opened the door and she walked out. "Carol's surgery is finished. She's alive. Stella thinks that she'll be okay. She's now helping Hershel with Merle." There was a round of relieved sighs. Andrea moved quickly over to Lori and hugged the other woman tight.

"I'm sorry, there was no way I could warn you. I tried to make sure someone saw me though." Andrea's head was pressed into Lori's shoulder.

"Shhh, I'm just glad you're here. You have to meet my daughter." Lori motioned to where Glenn sat holding Judith.

Andrea looked at the baby then back to Lori with an expression of amazement. "Lori, she's so pretty. Can I?"

"Of course." Andrea gently picked up the baby, and started to rock her back and forth. Daryl flashed back to the day she was born. He could remember doing the exact same thing. How much things have changed since then.

For the most part people sat in silence while they waited for news. It was another two hours before Hershel came out. He headed over to where Daryl sat. "He's alive, but barely. Lost a lot of blood. We had to take out a section of his lung. We'll know more in the morning." He pulled the bandage off Daryl's head. "That's going to need to be stitched." He looked towards Glenn and Tyreese. "Do you two think you can move Carol to her room? We need to take a look at Carl."

Hershel gave both Maggie and Carl shots while the others moved Carol out. Beth went with her to set up her IVs and to monitor her. Rick and Lori brought Carl in and the door was shut. When Rick carried Carl out, Hershel followed. "Go on in, Stella's getting things set up. I'm going to go check on Carol." Glenn helped a very drowsy Maggie to her feet. Again the door shut behind them.

Daryl was starting to get antsy. He wanted to check on Merle. And he wanted to see her again. That moment in the field had not been enough. He needed to hold her in his arms and examine every inch of her to make sure she really was alright.

As soon as Glenn and Maggie came out and walked to bed, Daryl was through the door. She was slipping some sort of device off of Merle's finger. Daryl stood in the doorway and watched her. She listened to his heart, and took his blood pressure. When she turned and saw him she smiled slightly. "Come on in. Come see him." When he approached he started to slip his arms around her but she pulled away. Confused Daryl turned back to his brother.

While Daryl stood there looking down at Merle she started drawing up some medication and getting some other stuff out. Silently she walked over and pulled him over to the other table. "Up." She grabbed some cleaning stuff and started dabbing at his forehead.

He grabbed her wrist. "Stella-," he began but she shook her head.

"Later, alright?" She sounded so tired. Daryl slowly let her wrist go.

When she was satisfied his wound was clean enough she placed a fresh towel at the head of the table and pushed him down. The needle stung as she injected the local anesthetic. Once he was numb she cleaned the wound again and then started suturing. She was just cutting the last suture when Hershel came back in.

"Oh good, he's all done. Why don't you go get a few hours. I can stay with Merle and Beth is watching Carol."

Daryl realized exactly how tired she must be when she simply walked over to Hershel and briefly laid her hand on his arm and gave him a smile of thanks. She walked ahead of him to their room but instead of climbing directly into bed she began collecting her things to shower. Looking down at himself Daryl realized that might not be such a bad idea.

They showered separately. As he was wrapping his towel around his waist he heard her shower shut off. He collected their discarded clothing and waited. She came out and took his hand.

When they were back in their room they laid down facing each other. "Are you all right?" he asked.

"I'm sorry. I just needed some time to put it all away. I was so busy with Carol and your brother that I really didn't have any time to think about it. When I saw you it just all came crashing down."

Daryl could understand that. Hadn't he spent hours in the hallway doing just that? He kissed her lightly and pushed her hair back. Rolling on to his back he pulled her into his arms. He needed to feel her body against his. He held her tight as they drifted off to sleep just as the sun came up.


	27. Chapter 27

She was already gone when Daryl woke up. He hated when she snuck out of bed. It was selfish, he knew it, but he loved waking up with her. But today he couldn't really expect anything else. He wondered how long she slept for. He had a feeling it wasn't very long at all.

He stopped in the infirmary on the way to the bathroom. Lori was in there watching over his brother. "How's he doing?"

Lori looked over. "Woke up for a little while. He asked about you. Stella's going to be back in a few minutes. She's just checking on Carol, who's awake."

Daryl nodded. "I'll go see her after I get something to eat. Do you need anything?" When Lori shook her head Daryl headed outside.

When he stepped out the door he was surprised at how high the sun was in the sky. It had to be after noon. He headed down to see what was available for food. He looked in the pot and grimaced. Still, it was food. He was heating it up when Glenn walked over.

"You're pretty brave. Sorry about that man. With all the women except Andrea or Michonne either laid up or working in the infirmary, I had to cook this morning. I asked Andrea to, but you know her. Think she regretted it after she tasted what I made."

"I didn't cook it, so I got no right to complain. How's Maggie?" Daryl dished some out and started throwing the food back as fast as he could so he didn't have to taste it. Still, it was pretty bad.

"She's sleeping. She's pretty sore. Saw Stella this morning. Said she should take it easy for a while. Said that the baby was fine too."

Daryl's eyes whipped up to Glenn. He swallowed hard, choking down the mouthful of food. "Baby? But then why would Maggie agree...?"

"To fight?" At Daryl's nod he said, "You know Maggie. Can't tell her anything. She said that if we didn't have enough people we'd lose, that she and the baby would be killed anyway. Hershel put up more of a fuss than I did. Stella made us tell him since if something happened he'd need to know. I don't think I'd ever been so scared in my life." A blush crept up Glenn's cheeks.

Daryl sat back, stunned. After a moment he laughed and grabbed Glenn, swinging him around. When he sat him back down he slapped him hard on the back. "A baby! God damn Glenn. Congratulations!"

Glenn's smile reached ear to ear. "We're gonna be getting married too. Hershel's gonna do it in a few days."

Daryl was stunned. "This is some news. I'm happy for you." He shook his head. "A baby, wow."

Glenn started to laugh. "That was my reaction when Stella told us. We'd been so careful that I didn't think there was anyway it would happen, but it did. I gotta tell you man. I've never been so happy."

"Well give Maggie a big kiss for me. Tell her I said congratulations." Daryl was smiling as he headed back inside.

He dropped his bowl off and headed down to see Carol. When he walked in he got another surprise. Tyreese was sitting by Carol's bed holding her hand.

"Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt," Daryl said uncomfortably. "I just wanted to check and see how you're doing. I can come back."

Tyreese chuckled. "It's alright, I've got to see about helping outside anyway. I'll see you later," he said to Carol. He brought her hand to his lips and and kissed the back of it.

Daryl had no idea what was going on today. He felt like he went to sleep and woke up in a different world.

"Come sit down before you fall over Daryl." Carol was smiling.

"So you and Tyreese? How long has that been going on?" Daryl just needed to make sure he knew what he saw.

Carol looked down, her cheeks pink. Daryl couldn't help but think how young and innocent it made her look. "It hasn't, not really. I liked him, and this morning I woke up and there he was. Seems he liked me too."

Daryl just looked down at Carol, astonishment written all over his face. Still, she looked so happy. He cleared his throat, "Um, well... that's nice Carol." It was going to take some time to get used to the idea. He changed the subject. "How're you feeling today?"

"Good, better than I thought I would actually. Stella was in here this morning. She said everything looks really good. You just missed her actually. She was headed back to the infirmary." Carol smiled. It was permission for him to go.

Daryl stood up. "I'll come see you later. You take it easy today." He headed down to see her.

She was washing surgical instruments in a basin when he came in. Half the table was covered with instruments laid out to dry. She turned as he walked through the door. "Hey, you're up." She didn't stop washing the instruments, just twisted to give him a quick kiss.

"Did you get any sleep?" Daryl leaned against the table.

"A few hours. Had to let Hershel get some. Oh, I'm going to be in here tonight." She held up a hand as his mouth opened. "I'll take a nap. But both Hershel and Beth were up all last night. It's only fair."

He picked up a strand of hair that had come loose from her bun and started running it through his fingers. "So, what you said yesterday about things changing... I'm not in for any more surprises am I?" Daryl asked warily. There was only so much change he could take.

"Why? What changes are you talking about?" Stella stared at the basin intently.

"I talked to Glenn this morning." He waited. Stella kept looking down. "He told me about the baby."

Stella smiled and turned to look at him. "Isn't it great? It took them both about two seconds to get over the shock before they were thrilled. Although I thought for a second Glenn was going to pass out." She laughed at the memory.

"Glenn said something that made me think." He stopped and Stella looked at him expectantly. He didn't know how to ask, so he just blurted it out. "You're not pregnant are you?" Stella looked shocked. "It's just that he said they had been careful, and we haven't exactly.."

"No, no. I have an IUD. I have another year or so before it has to come out." Stella rushed to assure him. "Sorry, I guess I should have told you, but I didn't really think about it." Relief swept through him, but there was something else too. Disappointment? He wondered how he would have felt if she had said something different.

Stella's voice broke into his thoughts. "Is that all?" When he looked at her she expanded. "Is that all the surprises you've had this morning?" Her lips twitched as she tried not to smile.

"No, I went in to Carol's room this morning and Tyreese was with her." He still wasn't over the shock of that one. "Why do I get the feeling you weren't surprised?"

"He watches her all the time, and she was forever looking at his hands." Confusion showed on Daryl's face. "When a woman is staring at a man's hands, she's picturing all the things he could do to her with them." Stella wrapped her arms around his neck. "I happen to look at your hands all the time."

* * *

The next few days were extremely busy. There were the funerals for Allen and Sasha, and the massive clean up from the fight. They managed to get a fair amount of weapons and ammunition in addition to the armored trucks that had been left behind.

Merle was recovering slowly, and was driving everyone crazy. Beth flat out refused to go into his room anymore. Finally Stella had gone in there and threatened that not only would no one come help him anymore, but she'd make sure he didn't get any more pain killers. Merle started behaving better.

Although Maggie and Glenn were willing just to have Hershel say a few words for the wedding, the other women nixed that idea.

"Oh no." Stella had said. "A wedding is special. Besides, we have to wait for Carol to get better. It'll give us time to get some things together." Lori, Stella, Beth and Maggie took to going out everyday to get supplies. He had no idea of what they got, but there was usually a lot of things in the SUV when they got back. They wouldn't allow anyone to see what was in the bags.

On the morning of the wedding, Daryl watched as Stella walked over to her car with a screwdriver and climb in the back. He walked over to the rear of the SUV and looked in. Stella was trying to pry a panel off the interior wall. "Whatcha doing?" he asked.

Stella jumped a mile. The screwdriver popped out and she slammed her hand into the side. "Oww!" She started shaking her hand. "Didn't I talk to you about sneaking up on people?" Daryl climbed in the back with her and took her hand to look at it. "I'm fine. Can you pry that off?"

Daryl picked up the screwdriver and removed the panel. He reached in and pulled out two cases and a black felt bag. He passed them over to her. She set aside the two cases and opened up the felt bag and dumped the contents on the floor. It was a jumble of different jewelry. Daryl knew enough to know that everything was real. He had known that she'd had a comfortable lifestyle, but Jesus, there was a lot of money sitting on the floor between them.

He watched as she quickly searched through till she found what she was looking for. She picked up what had to be her engagement ring. Dropping it quickly in Daryl's palm she started scooping everything back into the bag. When she was done she looked up and started chuckling at Daryl's shocked expression. "There was so much looting, I didn't want to leave any of it behind. I never did get around to insuring most of it." She looked down at the ring in his hand. "Will you give that to Glenn? If he doesn't want to use it, it's fine. Tell him not to feel obligated. But if he was looking for something.. well, I'd be happy to give it to them." She gathered up everything else. "I'm going to go see if Maggie wants to wear any of this today." She gave him a peck on the cheek and climbed out past him.

It took Daryl a few minutes to climb out of the SUV. He was having a hard time getting over the fact he was holding a piece of jewelry that was worth more money than he had ever made in a single year. Or two. It was so like her to give it away.

Daryl walked over to where Glenn was standing. "Glenn." He extended his arm. As soon as Glenn held out his hand, Daryl dropped the ring in his palm. "Stella asked me to give this to you. Said that if you didn't want to use it, don't feel like you have to."

Glenn started down at the ring in his palm. A bright smile lit up his face. "I've been looking for something, but all the stores are cleared out. Tell her thank you."

Just then Stella and Lori came out carting bags of things. Stella waved him over. "There's a bunch of stuff in one of the supply rooms. Can you grab a couple of guys and have them help you to bring them up?" She turned and started pulling things out without waiting for his answer.

Rick started laughing and slapped him on the back. "Looks like the honeymoon's over. Come on, they'll get antsy if we take too long." Together they went to cart all the supplies out to the yard.

Daryl was amazed when he opened the storage room door. This was what they were all doing locked in here at night. There were large pots filled with silk flowers, candles in little glass things, bottles of wine and glasses to go with it. Rick whistled. "Where do you think they found all this?"

Daryl looked over at him with a pained expression on his face. "I've learned not to ask. I usually don't like the answer she gives me."

It was amazing what the women did with the yard. Tablecloths were spread out with candles and vases of flowers. They had managed to create an aisle with the pots. Tiki torches were placed sporadically around the yard, ready to be lit. Dinner was all prepped and ready to be cooked as soon as the ceremony was over.

When Daryl walked into their room after taking a shower he felt his jaw drop open. Stella was just putting in a pair of earrings. She was wearing a strapless purple dress that came to just above her knees. The bodice was tight and flared at her hips. There was a wide black belt circling her waist. She had even done something fancy to her hair. It was pulled back in the front but tumbled down her back in curls. She smiled at him as she stepped into the pair of heels in front of her.

Daryl moved slowly over to her. He took her hand and turned her around. "You look amazing." It was an understatement, but he couldn't get his brain to function.

"Well I'm glad you think so. I got you some new clothes too."

He started to protest when she grabbed a bag, but stopped when she pulled out a cotton button down and a dark pair of jeans. "What? You didn't think I was going to make you wear a suit did you?"

"I had no idea what you were going to pull out of there. This'll work though." The clothes were well made but he'd still be able to wear them for everyday things.

Stella laughed. "I happen to love the way you look in jeans. Wouldn't have it any other way. Now hurry up or we'll get there after the bride." She turned back to the mirror and started applying her make-up.

When they stepped out into the hall Lori was hurrying down. She too had on a new dress and heels. Even Judith was decked out for the occasion. "Oh good, you guys heading out? I was just coming to see. Maggie's all ready so she's going to head up in a few minutes. I think everyone else is already there."

When they stepped outside Daryl looked around. It seemed as if everyone got a new pair of clothes for the occasion. Glenn was even wearing a suit. Between that and the decorations in the yard, it was almost possible to forget what was going on. "This is really something ladies."

Lori was the one that answered. "Maggie kept saying that it was silly with everything, but I'm really glad we did it. A wedding should be special, and although we may be somewhat limited in what we could do, she deserves the best wedding we can give her. I think she's really glad now. You should have seen her face when she looked in the mirror after she was all done getting dressed."

They had reached the rest of the group and were mingling around talking. Even Merle had joined in, though Stella told him absolutely no wine. Daryl wondered how long it would take before Merle snuck a glass or two.

At no signal he noticed, Rick pressed play on the iPod and Johnny Cash's 'Rose of my Heart' began playing. The group turned, instinctively separating for Maggie to be able to walk down the middle.

Maggie looked gorgeous. She was wearing a simple strapless wedding gown and had a large ruby and diamond necklace with matching earrings and bracelet on. Now Daryl knew what was in the cases.

Maggie positively glowed as she walked down the aisle with Beth. She reached Glenn and took his hand. They turned to Hershel but he was so overcome it took him a moment to begin. The ceremony was short and sweet. When Glenn kissed Maggie everyone clapped and cheered.

Soon the venison from the deer Daryl had brought back yesterday was cooking along with all the other sides the women had prepared. The wine was opened, and glasses were passed around to everyone. Stella relented and even allowed Merle a small glass.

Stella was dancing a slow song with Rick after dinner when she looked over and smiled at him. Daryl realized that for the first time ever, he felt truly happy. He always thought he was, but now, now he could see that he had just been going through the motions. She made him so happy. The fact that he could just sit and watch her as she went about her day, that she was the first thing he thought of when he got up in the morning, it all made him happy. And seeing her smile, this special smile that was only for him, he knew he would never be able to let her go.

Daryl got up from his seat and walked over to the dancing couple. Tapping Rick's shoulder he asked, "Do you mind?"

Rick smiled, "Should probably see about asking Lori to dance anyway."

Daryl took her in his arms. "Thought you said you never dance," Stella said.

He looked down into her eyes. "Well it's a special occasion."

Stella looked around at everyone dancing and laughing. "It is. It's so wonderful isn't it?"

He shook his head. "Not just the wedding. I realized that I love you. That I've loved you from the beginning. That I've just been too afraid to say it, but I was just being stupid. I want to be with you always. I want us to have a life together."

A slow smile spread across her face. "I know you love me. I've always known. But I love hearing it." She kissed him deeply. "And I love you too."

* * *

**This is not the end... just so we're clear. There will be another chapter today.**


	28. Chapter 28

After Maggie and Glenn's wedding life at the prison settled down. People started arriving at the prison, although only a few were invited to stay. The prison became a hub of bartering for survivors in the area, or for people passing through. Hershel, Rick, Daryl, Tyreese and I formed a leadership committee. It handled everything including requests from people that wanted to stay, allocation of resources, planting and harvesting schedules, and security. Daryl hated it. I asked him once why he agreed, and he said that he'd hate it even more if he had no say.

The entire prison was eventually cleared of walkers, and the holes in the fences repaired. Glenn had even found a building supply yard. We were able to add additional fenced areas that quickly turned into fields for crops and another for various livestock we found or traded for.

There were a few skirmishes with other groups attacking the prison, but nothing like the fight with Woodbury. We were well armed and there was strength in our numbers.

The group completely emptied out the hospital and all the surrounding vet clinics of supplies. Hershel and I ended up using another section of the prison to set up a kind of clinic for the people that came through. We kept our section of the prison free of any travellers, there were almost no exceptions to that rule. Even new arrivals that had been invited to stay were housed in a different section. For the most part we took in groups with young children, and never groups of only men.

Carl's idea about the library was also a huge bonus for the group. We had managed to collect all sorts of different books. Everything from canning foods to survival methods. I had insisted on grabbing every medical book I could from the hospital as well. We even had a small school for the children which Lori and a new arrival Alice ran.

The seasons passed and Maggie gave birth to a little boy they named Caleb. Carol got the shock of her life when she found out she was expecting as well. She would be due sometime in early summer.

One morning in early April I rose early. Daryl and I were going to be go out hunting, but I had to examine Carol before I went. Because of her age I was keeping a very close eye on her. After the exam I headed out to grab some breakfast. It was still very early and only a few people were up besides the people on guard duty at the gate.

I went over to where Lori was cooking some breakfast. I called out to her as I walked over. "Morning, smells good. I have to say, I don't know how those chickens ever survived but I am so glad that we get eggs." The chickens were still relatively new and the novelty of having a fried egg in the morning still hadn't worn off.

Lori laughed. "Want me to add a few for you two? I would have already but didn't think you'd be up yet."

"That'd be great. I had to take a look at Carol today, but Daryl wanted to go hunting so I squeezed it in first thing." I started making some more tea. Anticipating Lori's question I continued. "She's going so great."

"How are you doing?" Lori asked quietly. She was the only one besides Hershel that knew that Daryl and I had been trying since last summer for a baby.

I looked over at her. I opened up my mouth to say fine, but instead I said, "I'm really happy for her, but I'm unbelievably jealous as well. I can't help it."

She looked at me sympathetically. "I know it's hard, and that you hate not knowing why, but be patient. It'll happen."

"I know. If it never does happen, then it's the way it's supposed to be. I just have to concentrate on the good things. Like the fact that I'm so happy winter is at it's end."

Her eyes moved over to look at someone behind me. "Here comes Daryl now."

I was just about to turn to wave to him when a guard came running up to the gate next to us, he was carrying a little girl. "Stella! A group just came in, this little girl is really sick."

Daryl, Lori and I ran over to unlock the gate. I took one look at her and said to the guard. "Charlie, bring her in and take her down to the infirmary. I'll be right behind you."

I turned to the other two. I knew Daryl would protest about having someone in our section of the prison, even a little girl, so I tried to explain quickly. "I need to do some bloodwork on her right away, I don't want to have to run back and forth from the other side of the prison. Keep them out here. Lori? Will you talk to the mom and see what's been going on then come tell me?" I would have liked to talk to the mom myself but the group was still too far away. They looked like they'd had a rough time of it.

I turned and ran down after the guard. I could hear Daryl telling the other group to wait where they were. That I'd be back.

When I got to the infirmary I sent Charlie to go wake up Hershel and to turn the generator on so I'd have power. The little girl was in pretty shape. She was burning up with a fever and was unconscious. I quickly got a set of vitals on her. Hershel came in just as I was pulling some stuff out for an IV. "Hershel, can you get a IV going? I'm going to draw some blood." He moved to take over for me. I drew some blood and made a blood smear. As I waited for it to dry I removed most of the little girl's clothes. She was dirty and malnourished, but the most alarming thing was the sheer number of bruises on her.

"Maybe she's just anemic," Hershel said.

"Maybe," I responded softly. I palpated her abdomen and was dismayed to find her spleen enlarged.

As soon as the blood smear was dry I stained it. Just as I was finished the generator kicked on and the microscope lit up. I slid the slide onto the scope and looked at it. "Hershel.. come see this."

He moved over to take my place. "I've never seen anything so bad. It's almost all blast cells."

Just then Beth walked in. "Do you need any help?"

Hershel and I looked at each other before we shook our heads. "No" I said. "But why don't you two go over this while I go talk to the family." Hershel and I had been trying to teach Beth everything that we could. "Will you have the generator shut down when Charlie comes back? I don't think we need any of those other tests."

I stepped out in the hall and was almost run over by Lori. "I talked to the mom. She said that Jolie has been really tired lately and keeps running fevers off and on. She also keeps saying her joints hurt."

"It's okay Lori, I know what's wrong. Let's go up." I ignored Lori's questioning expression and walked outside. I hated this part. To have to tell someone that there's nothing you can do for their child is heart wrenching.

The group was outside the gate. Two people were sitting in chairs someone had brought them, a man was kneeling before them. The other three people were standing a little ways away talking to Daryl and Rick. I let myself through the gate and walked towards the people sitting. The woman was crying. At my glance Lori nodded. It was the mother.

As I approached the man rose and turned around. I stopped dead in my tracks. I would have known that face anywhere. "Jack," I breathed.

He stood there for a moment then crossed the distance between us in two steps. He grabbed the back of my head as his lips crushed down on mine.

* * *

**So I've been debating about what to do here. I could leave the story how it is and everyone could decide for themselves what she would do. Or I could continue. If I continue there is no way I'm going to be able to write like I have been. I go back to school on Tuesday. So it would be much longer between posts. Let me know what you guys would like. I'll take it into consideration. **

**In case this is it, I just want to thank everyone for taking the time to read this and review. Especially FanFicGirl10 and NoirChick as they reviewed every chapter. It was so much fun reading everyone's reactions. **


	29. Chapter 29

**Okay! I got it. You're not happy. I won't have it end there then. My apologies to everyone. **

* * *

As abruptly as the kiss started, it ended. Jack was torn away as Daryl tossed him down onto the ground. "Daryl! Don't!" I cried even and he knelt above him and started punching. I ran over to the two men and started trying to pull Daryl off. He pushed me back and I fell to the ground. Rick immediately took my place trying to peel him off. Gertie began barking frantically, unsure of who's side to take. Suddenly there was shouting and the sound of running footsteps. Tyreese pushed Rick out of the way and hauled Daryl away.

"What is the matter with you?" I yelled as I ran to see Jack. I landed on my knees next to him. "Oh my God," I said softly as I looked at him. "Jack?" I couldn't believe that he was here. I could hear yelling behind me, but I paid it no mind.

Jack grimaced and propped himself up son his elbows. I laid my hand gently on the side of his face. His arm loped around my neck and pulled me in close. My arms slid around his back. I was both laughing and crying as he brushed kisses over my face. Gertie kept trying to push her way in between us. Finally we separated and looking down at him, I saw the bruises and remembered.

"Daryl!" I swiveled around to look behind me but he was gone. Rick, Tyreese, Carol and Lori were standing there looking down at us with shocked expressions. The mother of the little girl was still weeping quietly next to them. The rest of Jack's group was looking at us warily.

I felt so torn. The woman needed to know what was going on with her daughter, I had to find Daryl, but I couldn't just run away from Jack either. I pushed my self up. "Rick, could you take her to see Hershel? Please?" I just couldn't concentrate on telling her what she needed to know. I could see Rick was reluctant to bring her in, but eventually he nodded and escorted the woman into the prison.

I turned back to Jack. He was just getting to his feet. He put his arms around me and pulled me in. I held on tight for a moment before I pulled back. "Jack, I'm sorry, but I have to go talk to Daryl." I felt like crying.

He ran his fingers through my hair. "Whose that?" he asked confused.

"He's the guy that hit you. I have to go find him." The tears were getting closer.

Jack pulled me back in to his embrace. "No. It's fine. I get it, he was just protecting you. I'm glad you had people looking out for you. But right now, I'm not letting you go. I can't believe I found you." Jack moved to press his lips to mine, but I moved back.

"Jack, you don't understand. Daryl and I are together. We have been for a while. I'll be back and we'll talk, but right now I have to go." I pulled all the way out of his arms. Hurt, anger, concern all flashed across Jack's face. I felt so awful. Turning quickly I walked over to Lori. "Where'd he go?"

Lori brushed away the tears in her eyes. "He left, walked right out the gate. I don't know where he went."

I nodded then ran to grab my bow that I had set down by the cooking area this morning. It seemed so long ago. I ran out the gate and into the woods. I headed towards the marsh. It had become kind of our place. He had even brought me there last fall on my birthday. He packed a picnic and we made love all afternoon, with Gertie keeping watch.

When I got to the marsh I was breathing hard, and sweat was stinging my eyes. I broke through the trees and looked around. I didn't see him at first, he was so still. I walked over sat down next to him. "I'm sorry." I said quietly.

He stared straight out across the marsh. After a moment he spoke. "Are you alright? I didn't hurt you?"

I had to think for a moment about what he meant. "No, I'm fine. Daryl, what I did... it was so insensitive of me. I'm really so sorry." I winced as I thought of how Jack and I must have looked to Daryl. "I was just so surprised, although I guess I shouldn't be."

He turned his head to look at me. "What do you mean?"

I shrugged. "We were planning on heading this way before we got separated, and I've been staying still. You know that people have been spreading the word about this place. Hershel and I get people from so far away looking for medical help. If someone told them, then it would only make sense for them to head here as soon as that little girl got sick."

"What's wrong with her anyway?"

"She has leukemia. She's going to die, and there's nothing I can do about it. I'm not sure how long she has, maybe a few days, maybe a month." I sighed. "Daryl, I didn't come here to talk about her." He turned back to the marsh. "Please, we have to talk about this."

I could see his jaw clenching. "What do you want? What the fuck do you want me to say?" He pushed himself up and started pacing as he always does when he's angry and frustrated.

"I don't know!" I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself. "I love you, but I love Jack too. He's my husband, not some guy that I dated for eight months!"

His voice was so controlled, "Some guy like me, you mean."

I closed my eyes for a moment. I couldn't believe I just did that. "Daryl, I didn't mean it like that. It's just that Jack and I have a lot of history. We were married for six years. We were together for seven years before that."

"Yeah, it was apparent that you were very familiar with him." He said snidely.

"Look, I can't say I'm not happy to see him because I am. He's alive and that makes me happy. But I never expected this. You knew I was married, you knew I didn't know where he was. Did you think that he'd show up here one day? Because I didn't." I reached out to stop him. "Daryl," I murmured. "Please."

He glanced over at me. "Are you staying? Or are you going to be with him?" His voice was tight with anger and hurt.

I opened my mouth but nothing came out. I didn't know what to say.

He shook off my hand. "Go, go be with your husband. I don't want to listen to anything else you have to say." He began to move away.

I lunged forward and grabbed his arm. Tears were now streaming down my cheeks. "Daryl please. I just need some time. I don't even know how I feel about this yet. Please just give me a little time." I wanted so badly to bury my face in his shirt, to hold on and never let go. But I couldn't. It wouldn't be right.

Daryl looked down at me with hard eyes. "Do whatever you want. I don't fucking care." He pulled his arm free and walked back into the tree line.

When I got back to the prison Lori was waiting by the gate. "Stella, are you alright? Did you find him?" As the tears started to flow again she said, "You did find him. Come on, come sit down." She pulled me over next to the woodpile. "No one will bother us here. What happened?"

I shook my head and said, "It was so awful. I didn't know what to tell him. He was just so angry." I brushed the tears away.

Lori leaned over and wrapped her arms around me. "He's not angry, he's scared and hurt. Daryl loves you. You know this. It was just a surprise. He thought someone was attacking you and then to see you run back to him and how happy you were to see him... I'm sure it was hard for him to watch."

"I feel so badly about that. I just wasn't thinking." I wrapped my arms around myself and squeezed. I felt like I was breaking apart.

"Stella, anyone would have reacted the same way. That's a man that you loved, that you married. You didn't get a divorce, you were torn apart. You've always said how much you loved Jack. Of course you're going to be happy to see him."

"What do I say to him Lori? I have no idea how I feel about any of this. I've already hurt them both so much." I laid my head in my hands.

Lori sighed. "You didn't do anything to either one of them. If you had thought that you would have found Jack, would you have gotten together with Daryl?"

I thought about what she asked. "Truthfully? I don't know. Daryl was such a surprise. I fell for him so fast." I thought back to those first few rocky weeks. So much had happened since then. I looked around the prison. The place we had made into a home.

I looked over to the other side of the prison yard. I had to go. "Lori, do you know where Jack is? I'm going to go find him."

Lori nodded. "Rick put them in those rooms next to the clinic. They moved the little girl over there." As I rose to leave she put her hand on my arm. "Stella? Don't rush into anything. Make sure you make the decision you want. There won't be any going back."

"I know Lori. Thanks." I straightened my shoulders and headed over to the other side of the prison.

He was standing outside the door to Cell Block A when I came around the corner. I paused for a moment so I could just look at him. He was thinner than he was the last time I saw him, but the way he moved was so familiar. The man Jack was talking to saw me and jerked his head in my direction. Jack turned and started walking towards me.

As I stood there I thought about what I was going to say. Nothing came to my mind. What could I say?

Jack came to stand before me, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. "You're back. I was starting to wonder." His voice was tense.

"I know, I'm sorry." I looked around. There was a sitting area that didn't have anyone around not far. "Can we sit?" Jack and I walked down in silence. We took chairs side by side, but turned them so we were facing each other. Gertie settled in between us.

"How's the little girl?" I asked. I was stalling.

"She's the same. Hershel ended up sedating Mary, Jolie's mom. She's having a hard time. I think she really thought you'd be able to make her better."

"I wish we'd be able to help her, but..." I trailed off. The silence that followed was awkward. Neither one of us knew quite what to say.

He blew out a heavy breath. "Not exactly the reunion I always hoped for. I certainly never pictured you running off after another man when I thought about it."

"No," I agreed. "I wouldn't think so. I'm sorry about that Jack. I had to go talk to him. It couldn't wait. Daryl... Daryl's volatile."

Jack smiled wryly. "Yeah, I noticed," indicating his bruised face. "Good to know he looked out for you at least. Doubt you had a problem with unwanted suitors." I smiled, it was just like Jack to make a joke. "How long have you two been together?" he asked.

"Since the beginning of last summer. I had gotten myself into a little situation. Daryl helped me out and brought me to the rest of the group. They're really great people Jack. They've become like family to me." I was looking somewhere at his chest. I couldn't bring myself to look in his eyes.

"Stella," he nudged my head up. He gave me the look that he always did when I was procrastinating about something. "I'm not mad about it." His hand moved to the side of my face and I couldn't help but lean into it. "But I'm here now. We can be together again." Jack pulled me towards him.

I resisted. "Jack. It's not that simple. I can't just say thanks for everything and see you later. I have a life here." I took a deep breath and said it. "I love him Jack."

Jack pulled back in surprise, but quickly recovered. "Stella, I'm your husband. We belong together. I love you, you know this." He slid his hands over mine. His thumbs rubbing circles on the backs.

"I know Jack," I murmured. "I do love you. I've always loved you. But he's a good man Jack. I have to think about everything. It wouldn't be fair just to make a snap decision. To either of you."

"Stella," he protested, "We can start over here. It'll be just like it was."

I stared at him. "Jack. We wouldn't be able to stay here. We'd have to leave." How could he think we would be able to stay?

"What? Why would we leave? This place is safe. I don't know how long you've been here, but it isn't getting any better out there. People are desperate."

"Jack" I cut him off. "First of all, the group would have to request to stay and then it would have to be approved. We can't take in everyone, we don't have the resources. Secondly, if we stayed, Daryl would leave. This is his home. This is his family. I won't do that to him." I rubbed my forehead. I was getting a headache. "Look, we're getting ahead of ourselves. I can't think that far ahead."

Shock was evident in Jack's voice. "You'd leave because of him?"

I thought back to that night in the tower, what I'd said to Daryl after. "Yes Jack, I would leave. It would hurt him too much if I stayed." Jack sat back, stunned. "I just wanted to come over here and talk to you. I'm not deciding anything right now. I need some time to think everything over, let it sink in." I stood, Jack following suit. "I have to get back."

As I moved to leave Jack reached out and pulled me in. My arms reached around him of their own volition. He held me tight for a moment. "I love you Stella. I know you'll do whatever you think is right." I felt his lips along my hairline. "I'm so glad I found you again."

I pulled back and smiled sadly up at him. "I'm glad to know you're safe Jack." It was true. I was glad to see him, but his arrival had turned my life upside down in a way I had never anticipated, never wanted. I headed back to my side of the prison.

Daryl didn't come back in time for dinner. Merle shot me dirty looks all night. I didn't mind it. At least he was keeping his mouth shut. I had a feeling Rick had probably told him to keep his distance. The group was subdued that night. Beth offered to take my shift that night over at the clinic. I thanked her gratefully. I still wasn't in any shape to look after the people there.

The group began to break up for bed. Still he wasn't back. I looked out towards the tree line, hoping to see him. It wasn't the first time he hadn't been back at this time, but before I always knew that he wanted to be here.

Rick came to stand beside me. "You should go get some sleep. He'll be alright. Daryl can take care of himself." He gently tugged on my arm. "Come on. You look exhausted."

I was exhausted. I curled up in the bed that I had shared with Daryl for almost a year, Gertie stretched out beside me. But still sleep wouldn't come. The day ran through my mind nonstop. I couldn't sort out any of what I was feeling. Jack was here and he was alive. We shared so much history. Almost my entire adult life had been spent with him. I had so many memories with him. But was I still that person? Life in the last two years had changed so much. I knew I had changed. The question was, had I changed in ways that meant we shouldn't be together? Had he? Daryl knew who I was now. He loved who I was now. And I knew I loved him. He was always the first person that I wanted to tell a funny story to, or talk to when I was upset. I loved the way he loved me.

As all these thoughts raced through my head, the door opened and he stepped in. I choked back a sob of happiness. Even as I moved to get up his voice cut through the darkness. "You're here." It was an angry statement, not one of relief.

I knelt on the bed. "Where else would I be?" I questioned. For what seemed like the zillionth time today I apologized. "Daryl, I'm sorry for how things went earlier. I know I didn't say or do the right things." I got up to light one of the lanterns in the room, then turned to face him.

His face was set in hard lines, his eyes glaring at me. I knew I had hurt him and that knowledge caused my heart to ache. When I went to step toward him, he stepped back. "I just came to get my shit. I'm going to go bunk in with Merle." He started throwing things in a bag.

I felt my knees go weak and I sat down heavily in a chair. "What? Daryl, no. I don't want you to go." I could feel my body start to tremble with anxiety. "I don't want this. I just need some time to think about things."

He threw the last of his things in the bag and zipped it shut. "Exactly. You need time. If you wanted to be with me, you wouldn't need that time. You'd know it. I don't want to be with someone that can't figure out if they want me, or another man." He pivoted and stormed out the door, slamming it behind him.

* * *

**So, I hope you all are happy that I'm continuing on with the story. I just wanted to remind people that after tomorrow I doubt if I'll be able to post more than once or twice a week, but you never know. I'll see you soon. **


	30. Chapter 30

**Minimal work for the first day of school! Yeah! So I had time to edit this... enjoy!**

When the sun started to peep around the edges of the curtains I threw the covers off and climbed out of bed. I didn't think I had slept for more than an hour and even that was broken sleep. My eyes were scratchy and bloodshot from crying.

I stepped outside and looked over at the... cabin, for lack of a better word, Merle had built for himself. He had hated being in the prison, and honestly, everyone hated having him in there. There was no movement except the smoke from his still rising gently in the air. That had been another fight. However, people traded for it and I had even used it from time to time as a disinfectant. It was potent stuff.

I walked down and threw a couple of logs on the fire. My stomach was too upset for breakfast, but I filled the kettle for some tea. I sipped it slowly, hoping Daryl would come out before I had to go relieve Beth. Carol came out and after visiting the hen house threw a couple of eggs in the frying pan. The thing that had smelled so good to me yesterday, now caused my stomach to churn in a most unpleasant way.

"Do you want one?" Carol asked. She was scowling in my direction, body turned slightly away from me.

I sighed and shook my head. There was no doubt in my mind she was angry about everything that had happened. I couldn't blame her. Daryl was her best friend here. "No, thank you though. I'm just going to head to the clinic, check in on everyone."

When I walked through the doors of the clinic Beth was taking a set of vitals on the little girl. Her mother was sleeping in the chair next to her. The only other patient was Frank, one of the new arrivals. Hershel had taken out his appendix the day before yesterday.

I walked over to the desk and picked up the chart on the little girl. I felt badly I had dumped this on Hershel and Beth. I reviewed all the information quickly. There was nothing good there. Her vitals were all trending down. She wouldn't live long. When Beth came over I handed her the file so that she could write everything down. "How was her night?" I asked quietly.

Beth glanced over to the table. "She sleep most of the night. I gave her a dose of painkillers around four this morning. The mom's a wreck, she doesn't believe it. She still thinks that there's going to be some type of miracle."

"Okay, thanks. Why don't you go get some breakfast and some sleep. I'm most likely going to be moving her into one of the cells by this afternoon."

Beth looked at me surprised. Moving a patient into a cell meant that death was imminent. The cell was always locked unless one of us was in there monitoring them. "Do you think you have to already? Mary's going to have a real hard time with that."

I looked over at the little girl. "Children are different than adults. They can be much more resilient, but they also go downhill a lot faster. If she keeps going like she is, yes. I'd rather be safe. If she improves or seems to plateau, I can always reconsider or move her back out." I looked back at Beth. She was looking at the little girl sadly. "This part always sucks. But part of our responsibility is to keep everyone safe. If she dies and we don't see it right away, she could turn, she could kill others. If that happened, it would be on us." For some reason people that died without being bit tended to turn faster. I'd seen it happen in as little as five minutes.

"You're right," Beth agreed. "It's just not fair that this is how it has to be for them. That a mother can't sit with her dying child."

"No," I said sadly. "It's not."

Beth headed off for the day. As soon as Frank woke up I pronounced him good to go. I gave him a whole list of do's and don'ts then checked on Jolie again. As I was listening to her heart Mary woke up. She started to speak but I held up one finger as I finished listening. As soon as I pulled out the ear pieces she said, "Beth said you'd be in this morning. That you'd know more. Is she getting any better?"

There was so much hope in her voice I hated to answer her. "Mary, I'm sure Hershel told you this but I know it's a lot of information so I just want to go through it again. Jolie is making a lot of white blood cells. Too many white blood cells. These normally would fight off infection, but these ones don't work right and she doesn't have enough normal ones. She can't fight off this infection."

Mary gripped Jolie's hand tightly. "Well you're giving her medicine right? It'll help."

I pulled up a chair across the table from her before I answered. "No. We're giving her a little bit of fluids and a small amount of pain medication. It's only enough to try to make her more comfortable. She doesn't have long. It'll be soon, maybe even today. I'm very sorry, but we can't make her better."

Mary looked at me and I could see that for the first time she believed what she was being told. The tears broke through and I moved over to put my arms around her. As she sobbed against my shoulder, I fought back tears of my own.

When Janet, one of the others from Jack's group came in to sit with Mary, I settled in behind the desk to read through different medical books. With most of what we saw here being trauma, it was easy to forget the other things. I looked up when the door opened. It was Jack.

He smiled broadly when he saw me sitting there. "I was hoping you'd be here today. How's Jolie?" he asked quietly. I shook my head. Jack took a deep breath and leaned against the edge of the desk. "You alright? You look awful." Jack was never one to mince words. He always told it straight.

"I just didn't sleep much last night, that's all." I closed the book I had been reading and walked over to place it back on the shelf. I could hear him come up behind me.

"Hey," he said, "Talk to me. Tell me what's going on."

I stared straight at the books. "Daryl moved his stuff out last night. He's staying with his brother."

Jack turned me around. "Well that makes things a little easier, doesn't it?" He moved to kiss me.

"Jack don't." I slid out of his arms. "Yesterday morning I was with Daryl, and I was happy. I can't just turn all those feelings off. Even if I could, it wouldn't be right." I could feel my voice wavering as I spoke.

"Okay, shh. You're right." Jack stepped forward and hugged me. "I'm sorry. I know this is hard on you. Why don't we just spend some time together? You can fill me in on what I've missed." His thumb brushed over the faint scar on my cheekbone. "Okay?" he kissed my forehead.

"Okay," I whispered.

* * *

I was dead on my feet by the time Hershel came to take over for me. We typically didn't keep someone in the clinic all the time, even when we did have patients. It was usually sufficient to have someone go in every few hours. It was only when a patient was extremely ill that we rotated through. Between Beth, Hershel, Carol and myself it tended to work out well.

I walked over to where Lori was playing with Judith. Gertie ran off to go play with Carl "How was school today?" There were six kids in the school ages 7-13. I had no idea how they managed to teach everyone age appropriate stuff.

"Good. Axel figured out how to jerry rig the window in the infirmary so he took the older ones and had them help him hook up the generator for there while I worked on reading and writing with the younger ones." In addition to math, reading and writing everyone pitched in and taught whatever skills they knew. Lori made funny faces at Judith while she continued. "So now anytime you want to run tests you don't have to power up the big generator."

"Good. That thing guzzles gas." There was already a small generator for the clinic, and it would make sense to keep the blood work equipment over there, but the number one rule was don't keep anything worth something outside of our section. We only kept a small amount of medication and equipment over there and that was in a locked cabinet that was bolted to the wall and behind a locked door.

I watched as Lori bounced Judith on her knee. "Daryl moved down to Merle's," I blurted out. "He came in late last night and just packed all his stuff." Lori looked at me stunned. "He said that he doesn't want to be with me, that if I loved him I wouldn't have to think about things. You would think this would make it easier. Jack certainly did, but it doesn't." I could feel myself starting to cry again.

Lori started to talk but I cut her off. I needed to get out of there. If I started crying I was afraid I wouldn't be able to stop. "I think I need to go lie down. I didn't get much sleep last night." I all but bolted inside.

I still hadn't managed to sleep when I came out a few hours later. Everyone was just sitting down for dinner. I sat down next to Andrea and Lori passed me a plate. Daryl didn't even glance my way. I mostly spread my food around my plate, eating only when Tyreese or Lori gave me a hard look. I was so miserable it just didn't taste good. As soon as others were done I moved to put my plate down for Gertie. There was plenty leftover, she'd be very happy.

I looked under the table but she wasn't there. She was always underfoot when it was dinner time, hoping to snag anything that hit the ground. "Carl, do you know where Gertie is?"

Carl looked up from stacking the plates. "She was around a little while ago, but I haven't seen her for maybe an hour."

"Hmph. She's got to be around here somewhere. Gertie! Gert! Come here!" I whistled. I looked around the yard but she didn't come. "Did anyone let her in?" There was a chorus of no's. I called her again.

"Here she comes," Tyreese said. "She must have been sleeping behind the cars."

I turned and smiled as I saw her walking toward us. The smile quickly faded away. There was something wrong with her. She was stumbling and was weaving back and forth. I dropped the plate on the ground and ran down the hill. I could hear footsteps behind me. Just as I reached her she missed a step and fell over.

"Gertie!" I called out. She whined pitifully and tried to stand up. This was just too much, after the last two days I just fell apart. I started sobbing, the tears totally blocking my vision. I hoisted her up into my arms and stood. Hands tried to pull her away from me. "No! I've got her." I went to take a step and almost fell over a small rock.

"Stella, you have to give her to me. She's too big for you to carry," Rick said gently. As I transferred her over to him I heard Carol yell out that she'd go get Hershel.

I followed Rick into the prison, stay on my feet only through the grace of God and Tyreese's strong hand gripping my arm. As soon as Rick put her down on the table I pushed him out of the way. "It's okay honey, I'm here," I sobbed out. Someone pulled a chair over and pushed me down into it as someone else lit the lanterns. I just kept petting her. She was trembling and panting hard.

I looked up as Lori pressed a handkerchief into my hand. "She'll be alright, Hershel will know what to do," she said as she slipped her arm around me. I wiped my face then buried my head in her shirt. I could barely breathe I was crying so hard. I heard Beth kick everyone else out.

I had just started to quiet down when Hershel came through the door. I popped out of the chair and tried to tell him what was going on but I burst out in tears again. Beth quickly told him what had happened. I let Lori push me back into the chair as Hershel looked at Gertie. As he went to go lift up her head he paused and swiped at something by her mouth. I wiped the tears from my eyes so I could see. She had a bright green spot on her fur. It was small, only the size of a dime or so.

Hershel looked over at me. "It's antifreeze, she must have licked some off the ground or something." He clumped over to the door and threw it open. "Merle! Go get a jug of whatever it is you call that stuff you brew, hurry up." There was some sort of argument going on outside in the hall, but I had stopped listening. The only thing I knew about antifreeze and dogs was that they typically died from it.

Hershel came back in and started talking to me again. "We're going to put a tube up her nose and then we're going to get her drunk. She's going to have to stay that way for a few days. The alcohol will help break down the antifreeze. I'll put an IV in her too. Luckily she won't need more than a bag or two. I'll be honest Stella, she still may die, but we won't know for a while."

"Okay," I choked out. I watched as they did everything that they needed to. I didn't even take my eyes off Gertie when Rick brought in the moonshine. Suddenly there was a sharp jab in my arm.

"Sorry," Beth said looking down at me. She pulled out the needle. "Dad told me to."

I turned my glare to Hershel. He just looked back at me sternly. "You're a mess. You look horrible. Lori said you haven't slept and you're not going to sit in here all night watching over her. Go to bed."

I was pissed. How dare he? "No. I'm staying right here." I was determined to fight it off. Fifteen minutes later however I was fighting to keep my eyes open. A few minutes after that I barely registered the familiar smell of leather and sunshine as strong arms picked me up and carried me to bed.

* * *

**Hope you all enjoyed this. As always please review.**


	31. Chapter 31

I was groggy when I woke up the next morning. It took me a second to remember what happened the night before but when I did, I bounded out of bed. I grabbed the closest clothes and pulled them on as I ran out the door. I ran down the hall to the infirmary, but the door was open and no one was there.

My stomach lurched and I fought down the urge to vomit. I walked in and sat down on one of the chairs. I was staring at the table when Tyreese walked through the doors followed by Beth. Tyreese was holding Gertie in his arms. I gasped and covered my mouth with my hand. He put her down and she wobbled her way over to me. As soon as she arrived she plopped herself on the floor and started snoring.

I looked over at Beth with my mouth hung open. Beth laughed. "She's a very cooperative drunk. Daddy said he thinks she's going to be fine. We're going to check her urine later to see how many crystals are in there. If there isn't many it means the alcohol is working." I sank down to the floor next to Gertie and pulled her into my lap. I kissed the top of her head. She even smelled like rubbing alcohol. Beth cleared her throat. "I hope you're not mad at me about last night. The shot I mean. You really did look like you needed it."

I grinned up at her. "Don't worry, you were just doing as you were told. I'd kill your father except I'm so ecstatic right now." I chuckled as Gertie started wagging her tail in her sleep.

Beth beamed at us. "I'm going to be in here all day. Daddy wants everything cleaned after Axel was in here doing the generator. So I'll watch her and give her the 'medicine'. " Beth held up the jar of moonshine.

I gave Gertie another kiss and slid her off my lap so I could stand up. "Alright, I'll go see how Jolie's doing. Is Carol still over there?" When Beth didn't answer right away I glanced over at her. She was looking at her feet. "Beth?"

She twisted around to face me. "Jolie died last night. Rick went over and took care of it."

I felt my happy mood vanish. "Oh. Have you been over there?" Beth shook her head. "Alright. I'll go check on Mary. I'll be back in a bit to check on Gertie. You'll get me if something changes?"

"Sure, right away."

"Thank you for looking after Gertie today, Beth. I really appreciate it. It's just as well I know nothing about dogs. I'd probably poke her awake evey ten minutes just to be sure."

Beth started to laugh. "Somehow, I don't doubt it."

I ran into Rick outside of the bathroom. "You're up," he said.

"Yeah. Whatever Hershel gave me really knocked me out." I was still trying to shake off the fog. "Rick, thanks for helping with Gertie last night. I know I was a little bit of a mess."

"A little?" Rick started to snicker but at my look he reigned it in. "Ahem, sorry. Look, Gertie's really important to you. Everyone here loves her and she's been a big help with some things. Remember when that guy was trying to break in through the back? If she hadn't been here, we probably wouldn't have known till he robbed us blind. If all it takes is a little moonshine and a few bags of fluids, it's worth it."

I hugged him. "Thanks Rick." After I kissed him on the cheek I said, "I'm going next door, see how everyone's doing."

"Stella wait. I have to talk with you about that. I spoke with Hershel and Tyreese. We took a look at our food stocks and what we've been going through. With the supplies we have, it's going to be tight making it to harvest, even if we catch a fair amount of game. There's no way we can feed another six people. We discussed it yesterday and agreed. I hope you don't mind that we didn't include you. Figured it would be best if both you and Daryl stayed out of it. If your husband wants to stay, that's fine, but we can't take in the others. They can stay for a few days but then they'll have to leave. We'll give them a few days of supplies for the road. I'm sorry."

I listened to what Rick had to say quietly. I knew he didn't take what he was saying lightly. "I'll let Jack know when I see him. He can tell the others when he thinks it's right."

I could see the men filling in the grave by the edge of the fence. They must have already buried Jolie. I had told Rick that I'd talk to Jack, and I would, but not right now. Now I was going to check on the women.

When I walked in to the cell block I could hear crying. It was the unmistakable sound of a mother's grief. I walked over to the cell and knocked on the edge. Janet, the woman that had come in yesterday to sit with Mary, came over to the door. "I don't mean to bother her, but I just wanted to check and see how she was doing. If anyone needed anything."

Janet shook her head. "No, I don't think so. It's very kind of you to offer though."

"It's not a problem. If you do think of something, just let someone know. Will you please let her know I'm very sorry about Jolie?" I touched Janet briefly on the arm and turned around to wait outside for Jack to be done.

* * *

We went for a walk to a clearing not far from the prison. There weren't that many walkers in the area anymore, although some wandered in here and there. I figured it was worth the risk. I wanted privacy when I told him. It was a good thing too. He didn't take the news too well.

"They can't do that!" he yelled at me. "Where are we supposed to go?"

"Jack," I said, trying to calm him down. "They can do that, it's their job. If we don't have enough food, everyone will starve. When they accept people into the prison they take on the responsibility for them. Their first priority has to be to the people that they've already taken in. I told you before that they don't alway allow people to stay."

"Great! That's just fucking great! That deputy never liked me from the start. You know they're probably doing this because they don't want us to be together don't you? They want you to be with that stupid redneck!"

"JACK!" I said sharply. I had forgotten this part of him. How when things didn't go his way he thought everyone was out to get him. How he could look down on others. "They were more inclined to let you stay because of who you are. They looked into it because of me. But they can't let everyone starve. These are good people who want to help. Did they ask you to do anything in exchange for trying to help Jolie? For giving her medicine? No. They didn't." I didn't add that we typically did charge for our medical supplies.

I decided right then I wasn't going to extend Rick's invitation for Jack to stay. I couldn't stay there and be with Jack, and if we both stayed, even if I wasn't with either Jack or Daryl, it would always be awkward. I'd never feel completely at home again.

Jack let out a sound of frustration and kicked at a fallen branch. "Jack, they're letting you stay for a few days and they're willing to give you some food as well. I heard that there's another settlement about fifty miles from here. You could go there."

His gaze settled over me. "You said you. Not we. You. Are you not planning on coming?" He moved closer to me. His gaze scrutinizing.

"I don't know Jack. If I come, I have to be sure that I'm doing it for the right reasons. I can't just go because Daryl and I broke up. These other people are my family. I've made this into my home."

"I thought you might want to go because I'm your husband. Because you love me." He stared at me intently.

"Jack, you know I love you." But was it the same love as it was? Or was it just the love someone felt for another that they had spent a lot of time with? I knew it wasn't the same as what I felt for Daryl. But wasn't all love different?

I spent the rest of the day with Jack outside of the prison. If he was leaving soon, I'd have to decide and in the prison I'd feel like everyone was watching us. We spent the day talking about family and old friends, what had happened while we were apart.

Jack was pretty impressed when I told him the story about the battle with Woodbury. "How many men? You're making that up. There's no way." His voice was filled with disbelief.

I laughed. "I swear. It was insane. There was no way we were giving up this prison. Rick was really good at organizing everyone. Considering the amount of people we had, it was a miracle that we only lost two." I thought back to that night and the weeks after. "Ben had a real hard time loosing his dad. For a while there I didn't know if we'd wake up and find him dead one morning." It hadn't been until Daryl had a firm talk with him, that Ben finally began doing better.

Jack told me what had happened after we were separated. Apparently after being run out of the camp site the others had refused to go back to look for me. They dropped Jack off a couple miles away. The walkers were too many for him to make it all the way back, although he kept trying to find a way. "It was a couple of weeks later and I was in the woods. I was pretty close to the road so when I heard a car I looked up. I saw you go by, you were crying. Somehow I knew you were leaving the area. I was so happy you were alive, but I didn't think I'd ever see you again." He hugged me, but when he tried to kiss me I pulled away. I still wasn't sure what I was doing.

Jack sighed but looped his arm around my shoulders instead. "Do you remember the fourth of July your dad lit the dock on fire trying to set off the fireworks?" My laugh rang out all through the woods. "I always meant to ask. Did the insurance company ever pay?"

Soon it was time to go back. I had to check on Gertie. I knew she was alright. I had told one of the guards where we'd be, but still I wanted to see her. "Will you come by tonight?" Jack asked.

I shook my head. "No. They've been covering for me enough lately. I need to help out a little tonight." It wasn't just my guilt that was keeping me away. I wanted to think about everything that happened today.

* * *

Gertie was out in the yard sunbathing when I got back. She was still snoring away. Beth was right next to her starting to prep diner. Axel was talking to Rick. "I looked at every car we have. I'm telling you not one of them is leaking antifreeze. I have no idea where she could have gotten into it."

"You checked all the cars?" I repeated. "That was really nice of you Axel. Thank you."

I surpressed a chuckle when Axel blushed. "Yeah, but I didn't find anything. Not even a drip."

"Well maybe she licked it off the ground where the visitors park." Every two weeks the prison filled up with people looking to trade items. "Maybe something of theirs was leaking." I suggested.

Axel didn't look convinced. "I guess it's possible but it's been almost a week."

Rick spoke up. "We'll take a look later. I told the others with little kids just to keep an eye out. Dogs aren't the only ones that tend to eat things they shouldn't." I followed his gaze. Judith was currently trying to yank a piece of grass out of the ground.

When Axel moved off I said, "Um Rick? I talked with Jack. I told him that they would have to go. That they would _all_ have to go."

Rick stared at me for a moment then asked quietly, "Are you going with him?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know." Rick opened up his mouth to speak, but I simply laid my hand on his shoulder as I passed by to go help prep diner.

* * *

For the next two days, I spent almost every available moment with Jack. It was so familiar in so many ways. And so different in others. He was harder than I remembered, quicker to anger. But he could still make me laugh like no one else. So often during those two days I wiped tears of mirth from my eyes as Jack told me a story about this or that.

When dawn broke on the morning he was leaving, I knew what I was going to do. Tossing back the covers I got dressed quickly and headed over to where he was packing. When I approached he looked up at me. "You don't have a bag."

I shook my head. "I'm not going with you. I'm going to stay."

Abandoning his stuff he walked over to me. "Stella, this is crazy. I know you love me. Why wouldn't you come with me?"

I brushed some dirt from his shirt. "I do love you Jack. I will always love you. But I'm not that same person. I thought I had lost you forever and I moved on. I've built a life here Jack." I paused for a second. "I love him and I want to be with him. That's who I am now."

"Stella, he left you. He told you he didn't want to be with you." Jack went to keep speaking but I stopped him.

"He did. But he does that. It's not the first time and it probably won't be the last. It may not seem like it to you, but he loves me. I know he does."

Jack gave me a hard look. "Are you sure about this? That this is what you want?"

I nodded. "I'm sure." I looked at my handsome husband for a moment and gave him a sad smile. "You must have realized it too. We're different people from who we were. We don't fit together like we once did."

Jack nodded bleakly. "I know, but I was still hoping that you would come, that we would get back to that."

"I know," I said softly. After a moment I glanced over towards the rest of the group. "Come on, I'll help you pack."

I stayed with Jack till they were ready to leave and then I walked him to the gate. When he pulled me into his arms this time I didn't protest. I gave him a goodbye kiss and watched as he walked past the fences.

I stood there till I could no longer see them. I turned around and saw Lori. She was standing about twenty feet back, waiting. Crying I ran over to her and wrapped my arms around her. When I was all cried out she asked, "Are you alright?"

I nodded. "It was the right decision. I'm happy here. I'm happy with Daryl. If this had never happened Jack and I probably would have been perfectly content in Boston for the rest of our lives, but that's not the way it went."

"You know, I wasn't sure until they left if you would be going with them or not." Lori said quietly.

I brushed the last of the tears away. "Honestly, until this morning I wasn't sure either. But I realized that while it would hurt to see Jack leave, it would kill me to walk away from Daryl." I took a deep breath. "So. Where is he? I'm going to get him to move his stuff back in if I have to beat him unconscious to do it."

Lori laughed. "That's my girl. He's hiding out down in the woodshop. I think he was afraid you'd go too."

I flashed Lori a smile and then headed off at a brisk pace. When I got to the woodshop I stopped at the doorway. Daryl was leaning back up against a workbench with his hands gripping the counter on either side. He looked so handsome standing there. I was about to walk in when I saw Andrea step out from behind the corner. She stopped just in front of him. She reached out and twisted her arms around his neck and as she pressed her body to his she kissed him passionately. Stunned, I waited for him to push her away but he didn't. When her hands slid down his chest and reached for his belt buckle I had seen enough. I turned and fled.

I ran through the prison and using my keys let myself out into the visitors area. I ran through the yard and ignoring Lori's shouts and ran out the gate. As I reached the tree line the tears started streaming down my face, but still I didn't stop. I ran until I just couldn't run anymore. I could see a clearing in front of me. I stumbled out of the woods and collapsed.

He could he? Without even checking to see if I really had left? And with Andrea of all people! He knew I didn't particularly like her. She refused to do anything to help out the other women. She acted like cooking and cleaning were beneath her. Like we were weak for doing it. As far as I was concerned she was the weak one. All the other women cooked, cleaned, did the laundry and they all had other jobs too. She was content to sit down and watch a field all day. I laid there, as the exhaustion of the emotional rollercoaster I'd been on for the last few days settled down around me.

* * *

Sometime later the sound of a twig snapping had me leaping to my feet as I pulled out my 9mm. I stopped dead in my tracks when I realized I was looking straight into a barrel of someone else's gun. "Tsk tsk, now that's not very friendly." The man holding the gun said. "Drop it. And the knife too. Toss them over there."

I tossed the gun aside and slowly pulled out the knife. "Go on, toss it down." He urged me. I threw it, but not at the ground. As he ducked out of the way I bolted passed him. Before I took more than three steps his hand reached out and snagged me by my hair.

Twisting my hair painfully he brought me face to face with him. "You shouldn't have done that," he growled. Pushing me away from him, he backhanded me, sending me crashing to the dirt and leaves.

I laid there for hours, my mind totally blank. It was late at night before I pushed myself up. My whole body ached. I pulled my clothes back on and as soon as I collected the things that had fallen from my pockets, I shuffled over to where he had tossed my knife. He had acted like he was doing me a great big favor by letting me keep the knife. The gun he had tucked in his own waist.

I slowly made my way back to the prison. It was so dark in the forest I could barely see. When I finally arrived back at the prison, Charlie opened up the gate for me and asked, "Where've you been? Everyone was worried."

Keeping my face averted I answered. "Sorry Charlie. I took a wrong turn. Headed in the wrong direction. I'm just really exhausted, I'm going to head in."

I was tempted to go right to the showers, but I needed to get soap and a towel. There was something I needed to do first anyway. I headed into the infirmary. I was just trying to work up the courage to jab a needle into my backside when the door opened. It was Hershel.

There was no hiding my face, not with the light of the lantern right on it. "Dear God girl! What happened to you?" Hershel swung himself into the room and shut the door.

"Shh. You'll wake everyone. I just took a little fall is all. I'll be fine."

Hershel looked at me with disbelief. "Really? You took a fall. That's why you're about to give yourself a shot of penicillin?" I looked down at the syringe in my hand. I had forgotten about it. He must have seen something in my face, because he sucked in his breath.

I spun around to face him. "I don't want anyone to know. It's no one's business. Hershel, you promise me that you won't say anything to anyone." I softened my tone. "Please Hershel. Promise me."

He looked down at me for a long moment. "Fine, I won't say anything to anyone. But you need to be looked at first. Give me that syringe before you hurt yourself with it." I felt the sting as he gave me the shot. "Grab a sheet and take off your pants. You know the drill."

While I was doing that, Hershel went to the window and yanked the cord on the generator. He turned on the lights, grabbed what he needed and sat in the chair at the end of the table. I placed my feet on the arms of the chair and scooted down. I knew he was trying to be gentle, but I had a hard time keeping from slamming my legs together.

After what seemed like an eternity Hershel said, "Alright, you can sit up." I pushed myself back and tucked the sheet around me. As Hershel began I talk I grew very still, my eyes closing in disbelief. How could this happen?

After Hershel left I headed to the showers and scrubbed myself raw in the freezing cold water. On the way to my room I stopped outside Carl's door. I didn't want to wake him, but Gertie was probably in there. I needed her tonight. As quietly as I could I opened the door. I let out a sigh of relief when she came trotting right out.

I climbed into bed and pulled her in close. There was so much going through my mind. Jack, Daryl, Andrea, what happened in the clearing. I couldn't even think the word. Every time I closed my eyes I would see his face. The sun was up before I fell asleep.

* * *

**Sorry it took so long to get this out. I kept trying to do this chapter in a different way, but in the end, this was what worked best. You'll hear from Daryl next time, don't worry. Hope to see you all soon and don't forget to review! **


	32. Chapter 32

She was leaving today. She had once called him a fool and he was. Looking back on it now, he understood why she was so happy to see Jack. He was her husband, of course she wasn't sure what she should do. She had asked Daryl to stay, but he hadn't listened. She might have stayed here with him if he hadn't pushed her away, if he hadn't left her. Daryl sighed and went back to sanding down the arrow shaft in front of him.

"Hiding out in here?" Andrea's voice cut through his thoughts. "I can understand that. Just wanted to let you know that I just saw her walking down to the gate with him. She was carrying a backpack. Looks like she decided to leave after all."

The arrow that was in the vice snapped as Daryl brought his hand down hard on it. "Shit!" He yanked the arrow out and tossed it aside. Pain filled his entire body. She was really gone. It took him a few minutes to realize Andrea was still talking. He turned and leaned up against the workbench.

"So what do you think?" Andrea asked.

"Think about what?"

Andrea grinned. "You haven't been listening to me at all, have you? I was just saying how maybe you and I should give it a try."

Daryl snorted. "You and me? Really?"

"You never know. It could be fun. I'm not asking for commitment here. Just a little amusement." She paused as she flipped open the top two buttons on her shirt. "I bet I can make you forget her." She said, her voice low.

Daryl looked at her. "What the hell is she playing at?" he asked himself. He and Andrea had never gotten along particularly well. When Daryl didn't say anything Andrea smiled coyly. She stepped over to him and pressed her lips against his. Daryl felt a war within himself. He didn't really want Andrea, but he'd do anything not to feel like this. He felt Andrea undo his buckle, but it wasn't until she went to slip her hand inside his pants that he pushed her back.

"What's the matter with you?" She said angrily.

Daryl looked at her and did up his pants. "Guess you just don't do it for me." Then he turned and walked out. He hurried through the prison. He could catch up with them easily. He didn't deserve her but maybe she'd still come back with him.

As he burst through the door to the prison yard he could tell something was wrong. Everyone seemed confused and upset. As soon as Lori saw him she came storming over. "What did you do? What on earth did you say to her?" Rick grabbed her arm to try to pull her back but she shook him off.

The ferocity in her voice almost made him take a step back. "What the fuck are you talking about?" Daryl yelled back.

"She went in there to find you and five minutes later she comes tearing out of the side door. She looked so upset." Lori spat at him.

"Who for Christ's sake? When?"

Lori looked like she was about to reach out and choke him. "Stella! Not two minutes ago!"

Just then Gertie pushed herself up against his leg. Daryl went white. She hadn't left. If she had come down, if she had seen Andrea... "Fuck! Which way did she go?"

"She went straight into the woods." It was Rick that answered. "She was moving pretty fast. You're gonna have to haul ass to catch up with her."

Daryl was already off and running. He got into the woods and looked down. The ground here was so trampled from everyone. There were trails running everywhere. I would take a miracle for him to pick up the right trail. Where would she go? He headed to the marsh, but after forty minutes it was apparent she hadn't come here. He searched the woods for hours but he didn't see any sign of her. Maybe she was back at the prison. After all, it was starting to get dark.

When he got back he knew immediately she wasn't there. Rick came over. "Did you see her?" Daryl just shook his head and walked over to a chair and sat down. He propped his elbows on his knees and put his head in his hands. How could fate be so cruel?

Time dragged by all night. Carol brought him some dinner which he fed to Gertie. She was the only member of the group that was brave enough to come near him. Even Merle left him alone.

Merle would never admit it to anyone but he really liked Stella. Ever since the battle with Woodbury, Merle had really taken a shine to her. When Daryl had shown up in the shack with all his stuff, Merle had asked, "Did you get dropped on your head one to many times as a baby? Go back in there and remind her why she's with you." Never before had Daryl wished so badly he had taken his big brother's advice.

Everyone headed in for the night, even Gertie abandoned him for a bed. Still, he sat there watching the tree line. The many sleepless nights he had lately took their toll though, and he dropped off to sleep. At some point he woke up. It sounded like a generator, but then the noise faded away and he assumed he imagined it. He drifted back off.

* * *

"Daryl, wake up. Hey! Come on! Wake up." Someone was shaking him. Daryl opened his eyes. "Did you sleep out here all night man?" Charlie asked.

Daryl groaned as he leaned forward. "I was waiting up for Stella. Must have fallen asleep."

"Oh. Well she came back a few hours ago. Said she got lost. Poor thing, she sounded exhausted."

Daryl was instantly awake. "She's back?"

"Yeah, a couple of hours ago. Hey? Where you going?"

Daryl strode through the halls, only stopping to use the bathroom and rinse his mouth out. Just as he was about to push her door open a crutch slammed down in front of him blocking his path. "Leave the girl be today." When Daryl went to protest Hershel continued. "I mean it. She doesn't need any drama today."

Daryl briefly considered tossing Hershel out of the way. Instead he turned and stomped out of the prison.

All day long he watched the door to the yard. At one point Gertie came running out but it was only Beth behind her. Beth must have just opened the door for her to come out. Morning turned into the afternoon. Still she didn't show up.

After lunch, when Lori went to bring Stella in a plate Hershel stopped her too. Daryl didn't hear what they said, but Lori was not happy when she turned back to the cooking area. Finally Stella came out. Even from where he was he could see the bruise on her cheek. He hurried across the yard, but before he got there she dished herself up some food and went right back in.

"That's not from a fall. I know bruises. There is no way that's from a fall." Carol was saying to Lori. "Did you see how she tried to cover it up?"

"Is that what she said?" Daryl interrupted. Hadn't Charlie told him Stella said she got lost? So now she got lost and she fell?

"Yeah, she said she fell down an embankment and had a hard time getting out. Said she got the bruise then." Carol said.

Something wasn't right. He marched over to Hershel. "What do you know old man? What is going on?" Daryl demanded.

Hershel looked up at him with innocence written all over his face. "Daryl, I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Why didn't you let me go in to see her this morning? Why didn't you let Lori bring her any food? You know something."

"All I know is that it was very late when she came in. I happened to be up to go to the bathroom. Believe me, when you get to be my age, you'll be up four times a night too."

All but snarling at Hershel, Daryl turned away. "Fuck it," he thought. "I'll go ask her." His mind made up he marched into the prison to her room. He opened the door without knocking. She was sound asleep in bed, her plate of food barely touched on the floor next to her. Daryl stepped in and shut the door behind him. He sank down into a chair and waited for her to wake up again.

He was dozing when a scream ripped through the air. He bounded out of the chair, trying to blink the sleep away. "Oh God Damn it Daryl! What are you doing in here? You scared the crap out of me!" Stella yelled from the bed.

Footsteps could be heard coming down the hall. Daryl quickly yanked the door open and stepped out. Tyreese and Glenn were running down the hall. "It's alright. Everyone's fine. I just scared Stella when she woke up." Without waiting for an answer he stepped back in and closed the door. He walked over and lit one of the lanterns. When the room was glowing softly he turned around.

She was sitting up in bed tucking the blankets around her. "What are you doing in here? You don't live here anymore. Remember?"

"I didn't sleep with Andrea," he blurted out. "I thought you had left. She came on to me, she kissed me, but I stopped it. I didn't want her. I wanted you. I pushed her away so I could go get you, bring you back here. If you had waited another minute you'd have seen." He was speaking so fast the words were tumbling over each other. He took a breath to slow down as he sat on the edge of the bed. "I'm so sorry. I was being an idiot. And not just about her. About Jack too. I was jealous and afraid."

She just looked at him, shock and dismay written across her face. When he reached out to her Stella scooted back in the bed. "Daryl, I just.. I can't right now. I can't talk about this. I need you to go."

"What?" he asked. She had always forgiven him so easily before. Every time. For all of the stupid things he had done. Hell, half the time he didn't even have to say sorry. All he had to do was show up and she'd wrap her arms around him.

Tears began to well up in her eyes. "Please just go," she whispered.

In shock, Daryl left the room. He could hear her crying softly as he shut the door. Maybe he had really done it. Maybe he had really driven her away.

He was halfway down the corridor when he realized he hadn't asked her about last night.

Stella slept straight through the rest of that night. The next morning Daryl was trying to get Hershel to go look at her... well... he was actually threatening to carry Hershel down there and toss him in her room when she finally came out. She passed by breakfast, only poured herself a cup of tea and sat down. She didn't say anything to anyone about what happened and unbelievably no one asked her.

He was sitting there watching her out of the corner of his eye when Merle wacked him on the shoulder. "Come on. Get your lazy ass up. We're going hunting. I don't know 'bout you, but I ain't no vegetarian. I need some meat!" Knowing it would be no good to argue, Daryl hauled himself to his feet.

They weren't even two miles in when Merle started. "So what'd you do to that girl anyway? Poor thing looks like she's just about broke. Only thing holding her together is gravity. Bet if you snuck up behind her and blew on her, she'd just drift away."

After a moment's hesitation he told him. "She saw me with Andrea, I stopped it before it got serious, but still."

"Shit, did you think that she wasn't having a tough enough week then?" Merle bent down to look at some tracks. "You really do know how to treat 'em. The shit storm of it all, is that she didn't even leave you. You left her. You find me a woman that's willing to put up with all the crap that one has... I'd at least have enough sense to make sure she was out of the state before I fooled around."

Daryl stared back towards the prison, a bleak expression on his face.

* * *

**I wrote this chapter and the next as one, but it was just too long. I still have to do a little work on it, but it should be done soon. See you then.**


	33. Chapter 33

**Since I wrote this along with the last chapter, it was pretty much done. I edited it this morning and while I was tempted to hold on to it, I figured that would just be mean. If I was you, I'd want to find out what happened next. So.. In the spirit of giving you guys what you want, here it is.**

* * *

The days turned into weeks. Slowly Stella turned back into her old self. Except with him. Oh, she was perfectly polite to him, but anytime he brought up what happened she'd just look at him sadly and say it didn't matter anymore.

It was the day after their latest trade day. The prison yard had been packed with people trying to get different things. They were all finishing dinner when Alice's brother Andrew ran over. "Stella! Hershel! They just brought Alice into the clinic. She's all messed up." After a second's pause everyone was on their feet, running over.

Stella and Hershel ran over to the bed right away to look at the girl. Daryl saw the blood drain from Stella's face as she took in the torn clothes and massive number of injuries. Quickly they pulled the makeshift curtain closed and started telling Beth and Carol what to get.

As they did that Andrew explained what happened. "Frank went to go into the storage room in this building and he noticed that one of the gates was unlocked so he went through. He found Alice a ways down. She's all bloody. Do you think she was bit? Do you think a walker got in?

Rick tried to calm him down. With everyone from the other cell block trying to get into the infirmary, he ended up sending them all back over to their sleeping quarters. He turned towards Daryl and Tyreese. "If the doors were open, it can't be a walker. But how the hell did someone get the gates open?"

Two minutes later Stella came around the curtain. "She's dead." Stella took a deep breath. "Rick, can I talk to you?" She gestured him over. When Rick got close she brought him around the corner to a small office and shut the door. Daryl could see Stella talking through the glass in the door. He began to move closer. Rick obviously didn't like what he was hearing.

Just as Daryl got to the door Rick exploded. His voice carried right through the door. "Jesus Christ Stella! You didn't think it was important to tell me some rapist had the key to this section of the prison?"

"Rick, please! I didn't even realize it was missing for a week and then nothing had happened..."

Rick was close to losing it. "God Damn it!" He stormed past her and yanked the door hard enough to cause the glass to shatter when it slammed against the wall.

Daryl felt as though he was frozen to the spot. When Stella turned and saw him standing there she paused. Then without saying a word she brushed past him and walked back to the other side of the prison.

He must have stood there for five minutes before he turned and followed her back. It all made sense. The bruises, how withdrawn she was, the fact that she never let Gertie out of her sight anymore, that she hadn't been outside of the prison since.

Rick looked up as Daryl passed by. "Shit! Daryl! Wait up!" Rick ran over and tried to keep pace with Daryl's long strides. "I don't know what to say. I... You shouldn't have found out like that." Daryl ignored him and kept going. "Daryl, wait! Look, you think maybe she doesn't want to see anyone right now?" Rick tried to reach out and stop him.

Without thinking Daryl lashed out. His fist caught Rick squarely in the jaw. "Ever think you shouldn't have talked to her like that? You think that was easy for her?" He yelled down at Rick. Rick was shaking his head trying to clear it. Pulling his temper back in Daryl continued on to look for her.

Finally, he found her in the library. She was sitting in one of the oversized chairs, feet tucked up under her. She didn't look his way, but she must have heard him because she said, "I killed that girl."

Whatever he had expected her to say, that certainly wasn't it. "What? No you didn't." He knelt down before her. "Why would you say that?"

Stella stared down at a stain in the rug. "You were right. I have a way of putting myself in some pretty stupid positions. If I hadn't gone out there alone... Jesus, if I had even just been paying attention to what was going on around me, she'd still be alive. I know better than that. I mean, look at how we met. And then afterwards, at the very least I should have told someone about my key being missing."

Her words made him think of all the times he had told her she couldn't look out for herself, that she was being reckless. Sometimes he was just so stupid. "No Stella," he said firmly. "You can take care of yourself. You have always been able to." The next part he said so quietly that it was almost a whisper. "Sometimes I wished that you couldn't. That you needed me more." Unable to help himself he reached over and took her hands in his. When she didn't automatically pull away he continued. "It wasn't your fault. This isn't your fault."

They both were silent for a minute. Daryl gently said, "You could have told me. I would have..." Daryl trailed off as Stella started shaking her head.

"No.. I couldn't Daryl. I just couldn't." Her eyes started to moisten.

"Why?" He heard himself ask.

Tears began to flow down her cheeks. "I... I was afraid you wouldn't love me anymore. That you would think I was... less. I don't think I could stand it if you thought that." Slowly she brought her eyes up to look at him.

"Babe," he whispered. In one smooth motion he scooped her up and twisted so that he was now sitting in the chair with her on his lap. As her arms twisted around his neck he feathered her face with kisses. "I could never think that." He held her as she cried.

"Daryl?" she sniffled.

"Hmm?" He rubbed his hand up and down her back as he breathed in that smell that was so uniquely her.

"As long as I'm being honest here, there's something else." She said quietly. He pulled back to look at her. She was chewing on her bottom lip. "I'm pregnant."

He felt his eyes go wide with shock. He took a breath to steady himself. "I don't care. The baby never has to know-"

Stella laid her fingertips against his lips. "No. Daryl, when Hershel took a look at me that night he told me. I was pregnant before. I'm about ten weeks."

He did the math in his head. "But you took a test. The test was negative." Daryl managed to choke out. She had been about five weeks pregnant when he left her.

Stella shrugged. "Hershel thinks it just wasn't sensitive enough because it was old. I was writing everything off due to something else, but Hershel was sure."

His eyes roamed her body. Weren't her breasts a little fuller? Her waist a little bigger? Daryl narrowed his eyes. "When were you planning on telling me this?"

Stella let out a strangled laugh. "Honestly, I think I was kind of hoping you wouldn't notice for a while. I'll admit, I didn't exactly think it through."

"A baby? Really?" he said as the information finally seeped through. All the information. His voice hardened, "Hershel knew about all this?" She nodded warily. He stared off into space then turned his eyes back to her. "He looked at you? Said you were all right?" He could feel himself holding his breath as he waited for her to answer.

She looked up at him. "I'm fine, the baby's fine."

He pushed her hair back away from her face and gently laid his lips on hers. The sound of someone clearing their throat had them breaking apart and looking over to the door. Tyresse was standing there beaming down at them. "What?" Daryl snapped. He was not happy about the interruption.

"Rick wants to see you both, gotta figure out what to do." Tyreese said.

His words reminded Daryl of the fact there was a dead girl over in the clinic, of how she got that way. His jaw clenched. That son of a bitch was here right now. He stood up quickly, causing Stella to squeak in surprise. He lowered her feet to the ground and took possession of her hand before she could move away.

When they got to the common area everyone was there, even Michonne. She had been gone for the last six weeks, scouting out some of the other trading posts in the area that had popped up. Stella squeaked out her name when she saw her and ran over to give her a hug. It was a little awkward because Daryl still had a firm grip on her other hand.

The women started talking to each other at once. Daryl was having a hard time following because not only were they talking over each other, they were both asking and answering questions at the same time. It was only when Rick cleared his throat loudly that they quieted down.

"I've checked with the guards, they're sure no one has left since the trades were completed yesterday. Alice was seen after that, so we have to assume that whoever did this is still here. Stella, you're sure that he only has the one key right?"

Daryl could tell that she was uncomfortable, and she moved in closer to him. He transferred her hand to his other one and slid his arm around her waist. She took a deep breath. "Yes. I kept that key separate. I found the others on the ground and had assumed that one fell out of my pocket as well, but he must have taken it. It only opens the doors in the clinic and Cell Block A. That's it."

"Alright, what I propose is this. We have all those padlocks and heavy chains. I say we padlock all the doors around block A and the doors to the clinic. Everyone stays with someone else tonight. We do a sweep of the grounds. If we don't find him, tomorrow we go in and clear it, section by section, putting padlocks behind us as we go. Agreed?"

As everyone nodded Stella spoke up. "There's something else. He knew me. He knew who I was. He might be familiar with the prison, either as a trader or he could have just been watching. Either way, he might be aware of places he could easily hide."

"What do you mean, he knew you?" Glenn asked. "What he say?" He moved to put his arm around Maggie protectively.

"Just... little things. He knew I had a dog, that I worked in the clinic. Called Daryl a redneck." She looked over at him. He just shrugged. She turned her attention back to the group.

"Can you tell us what he looked like?" Tyreese asked. "If he's a trader maybe I know him." Tyreese worked security on trade days and had gotten pretty familiar with the regulars.

Stella nodded. "Tall, well over six feet, medium build. 40's. Light brown hair. He was blind in his right eye. Had a scar from here to here." She indicated from just above the brow line to the middle of her cheek.

Merle walked over to stand next to them. "Sound like anyone you know baby brother?" Daryl nodded tightly. Son of a bitch. He had always wondered what hole that asshole had crawled into.

Andrea was shaking her head rapidly. "No, he wouldn't do that. There's no way. Why would you lie?" she shouted at Stella.

Daryl moved protectively in front of her. "She wouldn't. Besides, I never gave her a description of him. Why would I?" He stared down at Andrea, a hard expression on his face. Any respect he ever had for her had vanished after that day in the woodshop. He had always suspected that she knew Stella hadn't left, that she'd come looking for him. She had been looking for a way to hurt Stella, and she got it. In ways she never dreamed.

Tyreese was confused. "Who we talkin' about?" He looked from one person to the other.

"The governor." Michonne spat out. Apparently she still felt the same about him. "Sick freak," she said almost to herself.

There was a murmer as everyone looked at each other, as they remembered the fight with Woodbury. "It doesn't matter who it is." Rick said. "The situation is the same. Tyreese, Merle, Glenn, Michonne.. why don't you four come with me. We can clear the yard and put the chains on the doors. Daryl, can you..." Daryl shot him a hard look. "stay here and watch out for everyone?"

"I'll come too," Andrea said.

Rick looked over at her. Daryl wasn't the only one that had misgivings about Andrea. Most of the group had frozen her out once they found out what happened in the woodshop. Stella was too highly respected, too well liked for that to go over well. Funny thing was, it was Merle who opened his mouth. Stella never said a word.

"Fine, if you want to," Rick said. It was clear by the sound of his voice he wasn't happy about it. "Axel, Ben? Can you two put chains around the doors to the living area? I just don't want to take any chances."

The group began to disband. Lori came over and wrapped her arms around Stella. "Honey, are you alright? I'm so sorry, I should have known something else was wrong."

While the two women talked, Daryl walked over to where Hershel was sitting. "So now you know," he said.

Daryl nodded. "She said you looked at her, that's she's alright." He could feel his hands starting to shake so he shoved them in his pockets.

Hershel pushed himself up. "Physically she's all healed. Mentally... I just don't know. She's been beating herself up about this a lot. She's better but I don't know what this will do to her. It's good that she decided to say something though. I think it'll be good for her."

Daryl looked over to where Stella was. It seemed as though she was comforting Lori. Woman wasn't happy unless she had someone to take care of. "Yeah, probably." He turned back to Hershel. "And the baby?"

Hershel grinned. "Finally got around to telling you about that too? Thought she might be giving birth before she said anything. Baby seems fine. We'll do an ultrasound in a few weeks to see if there's anything obvious that we can pick up on."

Daryl shifted uncomfortably. "Thanks Hershel for being there for her. I...I'm grateful." It was almost painful to say. It wasn't that he was lying, it was just that he was angry that such a thing had happened to her and he had no idea, jealous that someone else had been there for her. Even if was a white haired, one-legged old man.

When the other group came back, Merle walked over to where Daryl was leaning against the wall. "Got this place locked up tighter than a virgin's knees. How's she doing?"

Daryl could see Merle's jaw clench. According to Merle, pedophiles and rapists were the scum on the bottom of the barrel. Besides, Stella was one of his own. Merle didn't like any screwing with his family.

"She's pregnant." Merle's eyes darted over to look at Daryl. "It's mine. I wanted you to know in case anything happens to me."

"Planning on something happening?" Merle asked quietly.

Daryl shrugged. "I'm gonna find and kill that son of a bitch. Don't think I'm fool enough to think he's completely defenseless." He looked over at his brother. "You'll stay here, look out for her." It wasn't a request.

Merle nodded slowly. "Blood is blood. I ain't never gonna leave mine." He started laughing. "So a baby huh? I hope it's a girl and looks just like her mama. Keep you on your toes." As Merle's meaning sunk in, Daryl frowned. Merle clapped him on the back and walked away.

As soon as the shock that he might actually end up with a daughter wore off, Daryl walked over to Stella and took her hand. He gently tugged her in the direction of the rooms. She followed him silently. When Daryl shut the door behind him he paused. He had no idea what to do.

Stella must have seen the indecision on his face. She turned and reached above her to one of the shelves and pulled down a nightgown. Daryl nodded, understanding. He felt the same way himself. While he had missed her, and wanted to be with her, he couldn't help thinking about everything he had learned tonight. Those thoughts didn't exactly inspire romance.

Daryl shed his clothes and climbed into bed waiting for her. As he lay there on his side he watched her. Now that he knew, it was so obvious. There were small differences everywhere. He held back a chuckle as she sighed with enjoyment when she unbuttoned her pants.

After she donned the nightgown she climbed into bed next to him. Daryl wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close, turning her so that her backside was pressed up next to him. He spread his palm out over her belly. He still couldn't believe it, after so many months of trying, for it to happen now, with everything that happened?

"Stella?"

"Hmm?" she responded as she snuggled in closer to him.

"I'm sorry I left. I'll never leave again, I promise," he whispered in her ear. Stella twisted in his arms to look at him. "Every time I've walked away from you it's been a mistake. I'm done making that mistake. I love you so much."

She didn't say anything, just pressed her lips to his. Her arms went around his neck. The kiss slowly built in intensity. Daryl groaned as he felt himself getting hard. A moment later she rolled back, pulling him with her. Daryl broke away to look down at her. "Are you sure?"

Stella smiled a slow smile. "Very sure." She pulled his head back down.

They took their time, there was no rush. His hands travelled her body, he was amazed at how different it felt already. Her hands pressed him closer as she fitted him into the notch between her thighs.

Daryl gripped the nightgown that had bunched around her hips. Kneeling back he pulled her up so that she was straddling his lap. He gently lifted the nightgown off her, admiring the way her hair cascaded around her shoulders. He buried his hands in it, and tilting her head back he brushed his tongue against her neck. Stella moaned, her fingertips kneading his back.

Gently he laid her back to remove her panties. As he tossed them to the floor he leaned over her and slid down her body. His mouth pressed against the gentle swell of her abdomen. There was a baby in there. His baby. Their baby. Her hands gripped his arms and pulled him up. Daryl settled in between her legs and looking in her eyes he slowly entered her. Stella's eyelids fluttered, as her lips parted, sucking in a sharp breath.

"Are you okay?" Daryl asked gently. He'd stop if she asked him to. It might kill him, but he would.

Stella's eyes opened and fixed on his. "I won't be if you stop now," she replied, her voice thick with passion. The bottoms of her feet rubbed down his legs even as her hands skimmed down his back to settle on his hips.

Daryl held her head between his hands and kissed her lightly as he began to move within her. His strokes were unhurried and smooth. Even as he began to increase the pace, she pushed him lightly on his shoulder. He instinctively rolled off her. She followed him and settled back on him. As she began to move above him he gripped her hips the tips of his fingers digging into the soft flesh. Just as Stella arched back, a cry of pleasure escaping, he sat up and buried his face in her breasts, smothering his own groan as he lost himself in her.

* * *

The next morning Daryl came back into the room just as Stella was strapping the scabbard around her waist. Her bow was already out and strung. Daryl could see the hilt of another knife sticking out of the top of her boot, and a gun was tucked into her waist. Daryl exhaled forcefully. She turned around to face him.

Daryl walked over and undid the leather belt holding the knife. "You never do put this on right," he said as he adjusted it lower onto her hips. He yanked her in next to his body, his arms wrapped tightly around her. He understood why she had to go. She had more of a reason than anyone. "You stay close, no matter what," he murmured into her hair.

Nodding she reached down to take his hand. "Come on, everyone's going to be waiting."

When they got to the common room of the cell block just about everyone was there. Only Hershel, Carol and Beth were missing. Daryl guessed that they were in the infirmary, getting ready in case the worst should happen.

Rick looked over at Stella. Taking in her appearance he pressed his lips together tightly, clearly unhappy that she was planning on going as well. Still, he didn't say anything. Daryl always knew he was a smart man.

Rick cleared his throat as a signal for everyone to quiet down. "Charlie and two of the other guards, Mark and Brian, have volunteered to go with us. We'll meet up with them when we head over. Tyreese I want you and Andrea together. Axel, you'll be with Ben. Glenn? Michonne. Carl, you'll be with me. Daryl? Merle and Stella. We'll go in through the clinic. We clear out the main passage together, chaining the junction doors on the way. When we head back, at each junction one group will break off and search the side rooms. Axel and Ben will stay in the main corridor with the keys to the padlocks. If you get done with your section, they'll let you into the next. You stay with your partner no matter what. If you find this asshole, you don't take any chances. He's already killed one of us." Rick gave Andrea a hard look. "If everyone's clear, let's go meet up with the others.

Daryl watched as Stella walked over to Lori, Gertie trotting at her side. The two women had a short conversation then he saw Stella give Gertie the command to sit. She reached down and gave her a quick pet. Stella turned and walked back over to where he and Merle were waiting.

"So..." Merle said as she got closer. "Daryl tells me you've finally decided to make me an uncle. What the hell took you two so long?"

Stella gave Merle a dry look. "Oh, I don't know Merle. Maybe I was really fighting off my attraction to you this whole time."

Merle burst out laughing and threw his arm around Stella's shoulders. "I am pretty irresistable, aren't I?"

Stella shook her head in disbelief. "You're a prince among men Merle."

* * *

The meet up with the guards outside of the clinic. It was Brian who asked the question. "How did this guy get keys anyway?" Daryl felt Stella freeze beside him. He understood how she felt. It was one thing for the people in their group to know what had happened, it was another thing for everyone to know.

He felt her relax when Tyreese answered. "Hershel said one of his keys went missing when he was over here one day. Didn't even realize it for a while." So that was going to be their story. Daryl was grateful. What had happened to her was her business, no one else's.

They moved into the clinic and after quickly clearing the area, headed into the main corridor. Daryl, Stella and Merle branched off from the main group. There were three of them, so they took one of the junctions with more side rooms. Silently they continued their sweep. Daryl was relieved Rick had put Merle with them. The two men sandwiched Stella between them, determined not to leave her unprotected as they headed from room to room. They were in the second to last room when they heard the faint sounds of gunfire. It was brief, lasting no more than a minute.

Immediately Daryl and Merle turned to head back down towards the main hall. "No!" Stella called out, "We have to finish. You're assuming that someone didn't fire accidently, or that whoever they found came alone. There could be more than one person in here."

Merle and Daryl looked at each other then almost in unison moved back to take their places. She was right, but it didn't mean either one of them liked it. It went against their nature to ignore a fight.

As soon as the last room was cleared the three of them hustled back up the corridor. They had to yell for a few minutes before Ben came running over with the keys. "What took you guys so long? Did you not hear the gunshots?" Ben asked as he undid the padlock.

"We heard them, just had to be sure, they guy might not be alone." Daryl said gruffly. "What happened?" They all moved through the gate and Daryl threaded the chain back around and snapped the lock shut.

He glanced back at Ben, wondering what the hell was the matter with the kid, why wasn't he answering? Ben was staring down at the padlock in Daryl's hand, a guilty look on his face. "Shit, you didn't lock the doors behind everyone did you?"

Ben plucked at the hem of his shirt, "No, I just thought..."

Merle cut him off. "Doesn't matter. We'll lock them on the way. Start talking." He started off down the hall, the rest of them trailing behind him.

Ben started talking quickly, anxious to redeem himself. "It was Glenn and Michonne. Glenn got grazed, but it's not bad. Anyways, Glenn managed to draw his fire while Michonne circled around. He never even saw her coming I guess. Anyways, they brought him out here." Ben took a deep breath. "She won't let Rick shoot him." Merle pushed open the door and they all stepped out into the yard. "Why won't she let Rick kill him?"

Just as Daryl shrugged he heard Stella say quietly behind him, "She's holding him for me." Daryl turned to look at her. She was staring at the scene in front of them.

The governor was on his knees in the middle of the yard, Michonne's katina at his throat. Rick was a few feet away, gun drawn, the barrel pointed at the governor's head. He and Michonne were clearly having a heated discussion. Michonne just kept shaking her head. Andrea stood a few feet behind Michonne, shock and disbelief on her face. The rest of the group was huddled around loosely.

Daryl stepped over to Stella's side. "Did you ask her to?" His voice was low. As much as he wanted to be the one to pull the trigger, if she wanted it, it was hers.

Stella's eyes meet his. "No, but Michonne's old testiment, eye for an eye and all that. She thinks what ever we do is mine to decide. She's not wrong. " She shifted her gaze back to the group and moved forward.

Daryl watched as she walked straight over to stand in front of the governor. Every muscle in his body tensed, ready to spring forward if he needed to. Daryl strained his ears to hear what she asked. "Why would you come back here?"

The governor looked up at Stella with unbridled hostility. "You fucking people. You ruined everything. We didn't have enough men left to protect the walls. We didn't have fences and locks like you have here. What do you think happened?"

Stella looked down at the man kneeling before her. "We know what happened. Did you think we didn't scout you out from time to time? See what you were up to? We never wanted any issues with you, but you took our people. You came to take our home. What did you think we'd do? Clear out and give you the key?" Stella paused, "I'll ask you again, why are you here now?"

The governor chuckled lightly. "You think this is the first time I've been here? Before you patched that hole up in the back I used to move in and out of this place all the time. Anything I could do to make life harder for you people. The fire? The missing supplies? It was too bad you caught Billy that time, you ended closing that opening off pretty quick. Knew I'd have to find some way to get rid of that fucking dog of yours. I must have tried to lure that dog a thousand times before she finally came to me last month. She licked up every drop of that antifreeze. Have to admit, I was surprised to see her still alive."

The whole group tensed. They all remembered the time one of the traders had kicked Gertie. It had taken both Glenn and Rick to pry Stella off the man. She had broken his nose and knocked out a couple of teeth. As they yanked her away she managed to leave claw marks down his face.

Even as Daryl moved to step forward, Stella turned to Michonne. "You've been looking for a new pet right? Think he'll do?" Michonne's armless, jawless walkers were ledgendary within the prison. They allowed her to move through groups of walkers without being detected.

Michonne smiled as she lowered her sword and stepped back. Stella began backing away, pulling an arrow out of her quiver.

Andrea ran over to stand a few feet away, "No! You can't do that! It's not right."

Stella barely spared her a glance. "It's already done." She turned her back on them both to get to a good firing distance.

Suddenly the governor lept to his feet and knocking Andrea over, yanked her gun out of the holster. He twisted to take aim at Stella's back.

Daryl sprang forward and grabbed her around the waist, turning so his body protected hers. A gunshot rang out just before they fell to the ground.

* * *

It had been Ben that fired, his bullet catching the governor in the middle of his chest. As soon as Daryl was assured she was fine, Stella moved to stand over him as bloody foam began bubbling out of his mouth. As soon as the governor breathed his last breath Stella looked over at Michonne and nodded. Michonne drove her katina into his brain.

"Thought you weren't going to do that," Daryl commented.

Stella shook her head. "I was always going to kill him. I just didn't want him to know that. I wanted him to think that he was going to spend God knows how long, walking around as one of those things. With out a jaw or arms on top of it." She wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her head in his chest. "I don't ever want to see his face again. I want it to be done."

Daryl held her close for a minute then pulled back. Grabbing her hand he whistled for Gertie. "Come on," was all he said. When they got to the gate she stopped. Daryl smiled back at her, waiting for her to take the step outside on her own. Finally she stepped through.

Daryl lead the way. When they reached the turn off for the marsh Stella would have started down it, but Daryl shook his head. "This way." He kept going for another few miles until they came to a pretty steep rocky hill. Turning to her he asked, "Can you do this?"

She laughed lightly and started up. "No problem for me, but you have Gertie." It was a slow climb with Daryl having to hoist Gertie up over some of the steeper sections. Finally they reached the top. They walked through a small stand of trees, and Stella gasped. There was a beautiful, clear lake. She turned to stare at him. "How?"

He chuckled. "I stumbled upon it one day. It's cold, but it feels great." He dragged her forward. Stella laughed as she hurried to keep up with him.

Daryl started peeling his clothes off, forgetting to remove his boots before he shoved his pants down. Stella's laughter echoed over the lake as she watched as he toppled over. When he was finally able to stand back up, he narrowed his eyes and advanced on her. Stella hurried to shed her clothes before he reached her. "There!" she cried triumphantly just as he swept her into his arms and charged into the water.

* * *

**Not done... not yet.**


	34. Chapter 34

"No! Don't put it there!" Stella yelled.

Daryl let out an exasperated sigh. "Well if you'd stop wiggling around, I wouldn't miss."

"Psst. My wiggling has nothing to do with it... You just have bad aim."

"I don't know why you're complaining. It's not like you can even see what I'm doing."

Stella looked over her large belly. "I can see. I just can't reach. That's where you come in."

Daryl picked up the bottle of nail polish. "What the hell color is this anyway? Why would you want this on your toes?" Daryl couldn't help think that the polish looked like glow in the dark spray paint.

"It's Tahitian Pink. I'm trying to give these babies something to aim for." Stella chuckled.

Daryl watched as she sucked in another breath and closed her eyes, her hands rubbing each side of her belly. "Another one?" Daryl asked.

Stella nodded, her concentration still on the contraction. When it passed she smiled at him. "You best get back to it. I don't want my toenails getting smudged because they didn't have enough time to dry." She tapped her feet against his chest.

Daryl rubbed his hand down her leg. He couldn't believe how calm she was. When the first contraction started three hours ago he had ran out and dragged Hershel into the room.

When they walked through the door, Stella had burst out laughing. "Do you think these babies are just gonna fall out?"

Hershel had given Daryl an understanding look. "Don't worry. It's going to be a while. She'll let you know when she's ready." He had given him a sympathetic pat on the back and headed back out.

Looking at Stella now, Daryl fought to maintain his composure. He didn't like seeing her in pain and he was terrified of what was going to happen. So many things could go wrong, especially with twins. He remembered the horror of Lori's delivery. This wouldn't be like that, he told himself. It would go just the way it was supposed to.

The contractions picked up in pace and strength over the next fifteen hours. Stella remained calm throughout, although she had insisted on using the iPod to drown out Daryl's fretting. Finally it was time.

Daryl watched as the first baby was born. "It's a girl!" Hershel cried out as he laid the squalling baby on Stella's chest. Beth started cleaning the baby off as Daryl stared down at his family. He had a daughter.

His eyes shifted to look at Stella. She was drenched with sweat and looked exhausted. He had never seen anything more beautiful in his entire life. He leaned over and pressed a kiss to her hairline. Stella looked up at him, her face was beaming. "What are we going to call her?" she asked. They had settled on boy's names, but not girl's.

"How about Evelyn? After your mom." Daryl said. He knew it was what she had wanted. Right now he'd have given her anything she asked for.

Stella reached up and placed her hand on his cheek. "I'd love that." Laughing and crying she stretched to place her lips on his. Looking back at the little girl in her arms she said, "Do you like that pretty girl? Evie..." Stella brushed her finger along the baby's cheek and then gathered her in her hands, "Here, go see your dad." She gently lifted the baby and placed her in Daryl's arms.

Daryl looked at the crying bundle in his arms. She had her mother's curls. He sat down in the chair, he was so afraid he was going to drop her. He gazed down at his daughter with wonder. He helped make this. Granted, Stella did most of the work, but still. She was his. It was amazing how much he loved the baby in his arms already. It wasn't until he heard Stella groan that he looked back up.

Lori hustled over and took the now sleeping baby from him. "Ready for round two dad?" she asked with a smile.

Daryl bolted up and resumed his position at Stella's side. A few minutes later he could see the top of the second baby's head. He laid a washcloth on Stella's forehead. "You're almost there. You can do it, I know it."

Stella nodded with grim determination and pushed. The second baby was born. "Two for two! It's another girl!" Hershel announced. "You two don't do anything in moderation do you?"

Stella started laughing. "I guess it's just not in our nature," she replied as she inspected the newest addition. "So Daryl, same question. What should we name her?" They ended up settling on Charlotte. Although Daryl insisted she would go by Charlie.

When Stella was settled back in their room, the babies sleeping beside her, Daryl stood in the doorway and took in the wonder of his new family. He had gone from a man who had shunned other people's company, a man that hadn't need anyone, to a man that would do anything for the three females in that bed. He would never leave them and he would kill anyone who tried to take them away.

Stella glanced over and gave him that special smile that he loved so much. Moving over to the bed he shucked off his clothes and climbed in.

As he laid on his side next to Evie, his eyes swept over the woman that he loved so much. The woman that had given him everything, acceptance, patience, her love. "Marry me." he said softly.

Stella's eyes popped open. A smile spread across her face. "Yes," she whispered. Daryl leaned carefully over the babies to kiss her lightly. "On one condition," she said as he pulled back.

Daryl's eyebrows drew together. "What?"

She looked down at the two newborns. "I want more. I want as many babies as we can have." She looked back at him. "I know it's not the smart thing but I can't help it."

Daryl was shocked. After eighteen hours of labor? How could she even be thinking about having another baby right now? But when he looked down at his daughters he understood. They were amazing. "We'll have as many as you want. As for it not being the smart thing, I promise I'll keep you all safe. I love you so much."

Stella's eyelids began to droop. "I know you will, I love you too."

Daryl watched her drift off to sleep, her hand resting lightly on Charlie's stomach. He covered her hand with his own and smiled as he thought of how much fun he was going to have making all those other babies.

THE END

* * *

**So I hope everyone enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing this. I know everyone took time out of their days to read it and it means so much. I've started writing another story, but I have no idea when it'll be ready to be published. I'd like to get at least five chapters done before I post. If you want to make sure you don't miss it, add me to your favorite authors and you'll get a notification. **

**I also just wanted to say that as of the time of this posting there were 134 reviews, 37 favorites, and 61 followers. Yay!**

**Since this is the last post please review to tell me how you liked the story now that it's all done. Even if you find this story after it's all done, I still get review notifications and I do read them all.**


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